Fáilte Ireland is to fund a €500,000 campaign promoting tourism careers to help increase the awareness of students and their parents about the varied and viable career opportunities in tourism. This campaign will help to attract the volume and quality of talent required to sustain growth. 

A digital hub will be created that will act as a one stop shop for information on courses and careers in Tourism and Hospitality.

Jenny De Saulles, head of the newly-created Sectoral Development Directorate said :

‘Our plans are about building an Ireland where every part of the country is included and the natural inclination of our people to welcome others is translated into jobs and opportunities’.

‘Fáilte Ireland’s focus next year is on helping to sustain and support the tourism industry region by region’, its ceo Paul Kelly has said. 

He was speaking at a gathering of 600 industry stakeholders in Croke Park where Fáilte Ireland unveiled its 2020 work plans.

‘In 2020, through the Government’s Project Ireland 2040 programme, we will be investing over €12 million to develop new and improved visitor attractions and activities for our visitors. There is a quiet transformation underway in the experiences we offer our visitors and in 2020, we will see a further 25 enhanced attractions open. Through a €6million targeted domestic and Northern Ireland marketing campaign using world class creatives, we will be telling all the people on our island about these great experiences through our new 2020 home holidays campaign called ‘Keep Discovering’.”

Ireland needs more large Gala Dinner venues, Paul Kelly, ceo of Fáilte Ireland has said.

They are required to provide a facility and variety for conference visitors in particular.

Me Kelly said that Ireland is also losing conference business because organisers cannot source the required blocks of rooms in conveniently-located hotels at certain times.

One or more large hotels, capable of accommodating delegates to major conferences are also needed, he said.