Fáilte Ireland and the County & City Management Association (CCMA), the representative body for Local Authority Managers have signed a Memorandum of Understanding which commits both organisations to work together in strategic areas, including capital investment projects, training supports, information provision and joint marketing campaigns, to attract domestic and overseas visitors.
Welcoming the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding, Paul Hayden, Head of PMO, Education & Policy at Fáilte Ireland, said that the agreement would strengthen both organisations existing relationship and further develop activities in a number of strategic areas. He explained, “The tourism industry employs an estimated 235,000 people with tourists spending €7.2 billion in Ireland in 2017 and the sector has great potential for regional development. Today’s initiative is aimed at enhancing the positive relationship that has developed between our two respective organisations and is part of a Fáilte Ireland initiative to develop co-operative agreements and build positive partnerships with key industry stakeholders.”
The Memorandum commits both sides to further develop activities under strategic areas including:
• Building brilliant visitor experiences – Fáilte Ireland will provide festivals and capital investment in attractions and activities. Projects identified will deliver on the objectives of the key brand propositions: Ireland’s Ancient East, Dublin, Wild Atlantic Way and the new ‘Midlands’ brand.
• Development of a world-class industry - identification and delivery of training supports for tourism officers and local authority visitor attraction managers
• Ensuring a visitor centric infrastructure and community – effective and efficient tourism information provision
• Attracting overseas leisure visitors - collaborative international marketing (including diaspora) opportunities
• Attracting domestic leisure visitors - collaborative domestic marketing opportunities
Chair of the CCMA Peter Carey welcomed the agreement within the Memorandum, stating, “Local authorities have traditionally played a role in developing the tourist experience of their areas. Over recent years this has been significantly strengthened with local authorities working with Fáilte Ireland to develop key experiences throughout Ireland that can attract tourists and create employment opportunities in local areas.”
Anna Marie Delaney, Chair of the CCMA Economic Committee, added, “Local councils are key drivers of tourism, each local authority is implementing a tourism strategy and has a designated tourism officer. Working collaboratively with Fáilte Ireland will ensure that we will maximise the benefits of tourism to the economy.”
