Fáilte Ireland

Fáilte Ireland is the operating name of the National Tourism Development Authority of Ireland. This authority was established under the National Tourism Development Authority Act of 2003 to replace and build upon the functions of Bord Fáilte, its predecessor organisation.[1] The organisation was established to support the development and promotion of tourism in Ireland, and it undertakes tourism marketing, training and research activities.[2]

Fáilte Ireland
National Tourism Development Authority
PredecessorBord Fáilte Éireann (BFÉ)
FounderNational Tourism Development Authority Act of 2003
Merger ofCouncil of Education, Recruitment and Training (CERT)
Bord Fáilte Éireann (BFÉ)
Purpose"To provide strategic and practical support in developing and sustaining Ireland as a high-quality and competitive tourist destination"
HeadquartersAmiens Street, Dublin 1, Ireland
  • Paul Kelly (CEO)
  • Paul Keeley (Director of Commercial Development)
  • Deborah Nolan (Director of Operations)
  • Orla Carroll (Director of Product Development)
  • Niall Tracey (Director of Marketing)
Websitefailteireland.ie

Name

The legal name of the body is the National Tourism Development Authority, according to the National Tourism Development Authority Act 2003 which established it.[3][4] The 2003 act also empowers the body to use the trading name of Fáilte Ireland.[3] The word fáilte is Irish for "welcome".[5] In official Irish-language texts the form Fáilte Éireann has been used.[6][7]

History
Bord Fáilte 1984 special award

After the foundation of the Irish Free State in December 1922, hoteliers and others created local tourism boards in various regions, which combined in 1924 into the Irish Tourist Association (ITA), a private organisation "promoting tourism to the benefit of the nation".[8][9][10] (An earlier, unionist-led, ITA had existed from 1895 to 1921.) ITA lobbying led to the Irish Tourist Board being established under the Tourist Traffic Act 1939.[11] While the outbreak of World War II delayed the implementation of some elements of the 1939 act,[12] a series of surveys, the Irish Tourist Association Topographical and General Survey, were undertaken in the early 1940s.[13][14]

The organisation was renamed again, to An Bord Fáilte, by the Tourist Traffic Act 1952. The same act created a separate body, Fógra Fáilte, to handle publicity.[15] The Tourist Traffic Act 1955 remerged the two as Bord Fáilte Éireann (BFÉ or "Bord Fáilte").[16] An Tóstal, a summer cultural festival held from 1953 to 1959, took up the bulk of the authority's work in this period. In 1963 the Council of Education, Recruitment and Training (CERT) was created to take over training of workers in the hospitality industry.

In 1964, eight regional tourist organisations (RTOs) were established which were intended to supersede the ITA; an extraordinary general meeting called in 1964 to dissolve the ITA voted not to do so, but it nevertheless soon became defunct.[17] The RTOs reduced in number to six in the 1980s, and were renamed regional tourist associations (RTAs) in 1996.[18] In 1989 the Dublin RTO lost a High Court action to prevent BFÉ dissolving it; it was reconstituted as Dublin Tourism and more closely controlled by BFÉ.[19]

In 2003 CERT and BFÉ merged to form Fáilte Ireland,[1] to better co-ordinate with Tourism Ireland, the all-Ireland body established under the Good Friday Agreement. The advent of travel websites reduced the usefulness of the RTAs and a 2005 PricewaterhouseCoopers report recommended substantial reorganisation;[20] as a consequence all were dissolved in 2006, except Dublin Tourism, which was made a direct subsidiary of Fáilte Ireland.[21][24] Dublin Tourism's separate status ended in 2012 in line with a 2011 report by Grant Thornton.[25][26]

Fáilte Ireland played a leading role in The Gathering Ireland 2013, a year-long programme of events encouraging members of the Irish diaspora to visit their region of origin.

Activities

The goal of Fáilte Ireland is to provide strategic and practical support in the "long-term sustainable growth in the economic, social, cultural and environmental contribution of tourism to Ireland".[2] Fáilte Ireland works with tourism interests to support the industry in its efforts to be "more profitable and to help individual tourist enterprises enhance their performance".

Its activities fall into four areas:

  • Tourism marketing: provides marketing support and a range of promotional opportunities for Irish product providers, marketing groups, tour operators, handling agents, and other tourism interests as well as visitor services to consumers. Fáilte Ireland's "Festivals and Cultural Events Initiative" and "Sports Tourism Initiative" fall under this heading.
  • Training services: provides education and advice for people working in the tourism industry. Fáilte Ireland has previously run campaigns to encourage and support young people in choosing a career in the tourism sector.
  • Product development: provides support for selective capital investment in tourism products through grant-aid and tax incentive schemes and encourages new products and areas of service.
  • Research and statistics: provides overviews of tourism performance and profiles tourism development to provide a knowledge base to guide industry development and services.

Management team
Name Role Ref.
Paul Kelly Chief Executive of Fáilte Ireland [27]
Paul Keeley Director of Commercial Development [27]
Deborah Nolan Director of Operations [27]
Orla Carroll Director of Product Development [27]
Niall Tracey Director of Marketing [27]

On 15 August 2020, Chairman of Fáilte Ireland Michael Cawley[28] resigned after it emerged he travelled to Italy on holiday during the COVID-19 pandemic;[29] his decision to holiday abroad had sparked controversy and criticism as it coincided with a campaign from Fáilte Ireland urging holidaymakers to engage in staycations.[30]

Tourism regions

Fáilte Ireland has identified and markets several tourism regions, including The Wild Atlantic Way, Ireland's Ancient East, and Ireland's Hidden Heartlands.[31]

Dublin Tourism, a somewhat antonymous regional tourism authority, was formerly responsible for promoting tourism in the Dublin region. It merged into Fáilte Ireland in 2012.[32]

See also

References

Sources
  • Casey, J. Jerome; O'Rourke, Felim (October 2011). "Appendix 1: National Tourism Organisations and Irish Tourism" (PDF). Rejuvenating Dublin's Tourism Product. Dublin City Business Association. pp. 97–101. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  • Thornton, Grant (December 2011). "Dublin Tourism Final Report: A review of Dublin Tourism on behalf of Fáilte Ireland" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  • Strategy Advisory Services (April 2005). "Review of Regional Tourism Structures in Ireland" (PDF). PricewaterhouseCoopers. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  • Zuelow, Eric G. E. (2008-01-01). "Bord Fáilte Eireann". In Byrne, James Patrick; Coleman, Philip; King, Jason Francis (eds.). Ireland and the Americas: Culture, Politics, and History : a Multidisciplinary Encyclopedia. Vol. 2. ABC-CLIO. pp. 103–104. ISBN 9781851096145. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  • Zuelow, Eric (2009). Making Ireland Irish: Tourism and National Identity Since the Irish Civil War. Syracuse University Press. ISBN 9780815632252. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  • "National Tourism Development Authority Act 2003". Irish Statute Book. Retrieved 2 December 2015.

Citations
  1. National Tourism Development Authority Act 2003, Sections 37–38
  2. "About Us". failteireland.ie. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  3. National Tourism Development Authority Act 2003, Section 7
  4. "Legal Terms". Failte Ireland. Retrieved 30 November 2015. The Website is operated by the National Tourism Development Authority, also known as Fáilte Ireland ("we" or the "Authority")
  5. Ó Dónaill, Niall. "fáilte". Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  6. "Ionad Fáilte Éireann d'Oibrithe Turasóireachta". tearma.ie - Dictionary of Irish Terms. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  7. "Tuarascáil Bhliantúil 2014" (PDF) (in Irish). Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. pp. 33–34. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 September 2015. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  8. Dean, Joan FitzPatrick. "Review: Making Ireland Irish". Estudios Irlandeses. Spanish Association for Irish Studies. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  9. "Irish Tourist Association Topographical and General Survey Files". corklocalstudies.ie. Cork County Library. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  10. "Irish Tourist Association (I.T.A.)". askaboutireland.ie. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  11. "Tourist Traffic Act, 1939". Irish Statute Book. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  12. Furlong, Irene (2004). "State Promotion Of Tourism In Independent Ireland". Irish Economic and Social History. 31: 82–84. JSTOR 24338744.
  13. "Irish Tourist Association Survey". Mayo County Library. Mayo County Council. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  14. "The Irish Tourist Association Topographical and General Survey". wicklowheritage.org. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  15. "Tourist Traffic Act, 1952". Irish Statute Book. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  16. "Tourist Traffic Act, 1955". Irish Statute Book. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  17. Zuelow 2009, p.85
  18. Strategy Advisory Services 2005, p.31 fn.7
  19. Casey and O'Rourke 2011, p.98
  20. Strategy Advisory Services 2005, Chapter 9
  21. Casey and O'Rourke 2011, p.99
  22. Strategy Advisory Services 2005
  23. Travers, John (30 September 2003). New Horizons for Irish Tourism: An Agenda for Action. Report of the Tourism Policy Review Group to John O'Donoghue T.D. Minister for Arts, Sport & Tourism (PDF). Tourism Policy Review Group. ISBN 0-7557-1780-5.
  24. Grant Thornton 2011, p.3: "Although Dublin Tourism had been in existence since 1964, it has been a subsidiary of Fáilte Ireland since 2006. At that time, all of the other dedicated regional tourism authorities in Ireland were merged into Fáilte Ireland in line with recommendations contained in a report by PwC.[22] A decision was taken however not to integrate Dublin Tourism on foot of another report, the Travers Report,[23] but instead to make it a subsidiary of Fáilte Ireland which afforded it a semi-protected status as a state body in that the Exchequer stands over its losses."
  25. Grant Thornton 2011, p.5: "Our overall recommendation is that Dublin Tourism is subsumed into Fáilte Ireland and the board of Dublin Tourism disbanded."
  26. "Our History". About Us. Failte Ireland. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  27. "Fáilte Ireland Management Team". failteireland.ie. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  28. "Michael Cawley appointed as Chairman-designate of Failte Ireland". failteireland.ie. 1 May 2014. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  29. Libreri, Samantha (15 August 2020). "Fáilte Ireland Chairman resigns over holiday to Italy". RTÉ News and Current Affairs. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  30. Gataveckaite, Gabija; Sheahan, Fionnán (15 August 2020). "Fáilte Ireland chairman resigns after travelling to Italy on holiday amid Irish staycation push". Irish Independent. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  31. MacConnell, Eoghan. "Fáilte Ireland unveils Hidden Heartlands brand for the midlands". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2021-04-30.
  32. "Our History - Regional tourism organisations". failteireland.ie. Fáilte Ireland. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
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