Developing Tourism in Cork
Tourism Jobs & Revenue
227,000
*Based on 2023 CSO figures
10 Years of The Wild Atlantic Way
The Wild Atlantic Way, the hugely successful tourism brand developed by Fáilte Ireland in response to the global financial crash, was launched to the tourism industry at Meitheal in 2014, and over the last decade has become a globally recognised tourism brand and has provided an economic engine for the west of Ireland.
According to a new report launched in 2024, nearly 2 million more visitors visited the Wild Atlantic Way in 2023 compared with 2013. Tourism is now worth €3billion per year on the Wild Atlantic Way, an increase of 59% on 2013, and this growth has contributed to the creation of an additional 35,000 jobs, with tourism now supporting 121,000 jobs across the region.
Domestic Marketing
At Fáilte Ireland, our marketing aims to inspire domestic tourism by encouraging short breaks in Ireland, with a goal to boost year-round tourism revenue spread across the country. Our Keep Discovering domestic campaign is the cornerstone of our consumer marketing strategy, promoting regions to visitors from the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland through various high reach channels including TV, video-on-demand, digital, media partnerships and an extensive PR and Influencer plan.
Additionally, our sponsorship of RTÉ Weather reaches 1.6 million people on average 8 times per week, providing a great platform to deliver timely, relevant and compelling messages to encourage viewers to Keep Discovering Ireland all year round.
€3 billion
Driving Climate Action for Tourism Businesses
Tackling climate change is one of the biggest challenges and opportunities facing tourism businesses today. Fáilte Irelands’s Climate Action Programme is delivered by Fáilte Ireland and a team of sustainability advisors who will mentor and guide businesses over a three-year period providing hands-on support and investment advice for tourism businesses aiming to become more sustainable and will help drive real change in businesses.
In line with government targets, the Programme will focus on reducing carbon emissions and saving money, along with broader areas like energy and waste management, water consumption, renewables, and biodiversity. More information on the Climate Action Programme can be found at https://supports.failteireland.ie/climate-action/
Accessible and Inclusive Tourism
Fáilte Ireland’s ambition is to support all tourism businesses improve their inclusive offerings and ensure that destinations, products, and services are accessible to all. Our 2025 plans focus on raising awareness of accessibility and inclusion, building capacity, and offering more choices for all.
We embrace the principle of ‘nothing about us without us’ to make Ireland a leading accessible and inclusive destination. Together, we can create welcoming tourism experiences that enhance our communities as great places to visit and live.
For more information please visit: https://www.failteireland.ie/ Development-menu-item/Accessible-and-Inclusive-Tourism.aspx
Building excellent employment
Since Fáilte Ireland launched its Employer Excellence Programme in 2022, 30,000 employees and 300 businesses across the tourism sector have benefited from the programme. This three-year programme enhances retention, reward recognition, and communication. Additionally, the programme offers benefits such as top-tier people management training, access to an employee survey provider, expert HR advice, and the opportunity to be acknowledged as an Excellent Employer at our annual awards.
To support businesses to upskill new and existing employees, Fáilte Ireland launched learniFI, an online learning platform to drive professional development with over 250 tailored courses and dynamic live learning sessions across key business disciplines including HR, Finance and Climate Action. To help build the future pipeline of talent, the Fáilte Ireland Work Experience Programme connects Transition Year students with local tourism businesses, providing work experience and helping build a future talent pipeline. For more information, visit www.failteireland.ie/tourismcareers
Development in Cork
Regional Tourism Strategy for Ireland’s Ancient East, the Wild Atlantic Way and Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands
Cork City and East Cork is included in Fáilte Ireland’s Ireland’s Ancient East Regional Tourism Development Strategy 2023 – 2027, while West Cork is included in the Wild Atlantic Way Regional Tourism Development Strategy. The Ballyhoura local development area is included in the Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands Regional Tourism Dvelopment Strategy. These roadmaps for the tourism industry and all stakeholders involved in tourism in the regions will help navigate the current challenges and steer a course towards a sustainable recovery and continued success. The plans set out a strategic approach to unlocking the commercial potential of Ireland’s Ancient East, the Wild Atlantic Way, and Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands. They will ensure focus on tourism development is sustainable and regenerative and that the benefits accrue to local communities and to nature.
Destination and Experience Development Plans
Destination and Experience Development Plans (DEDPs) are 5-year sustainable tourism development plans for a destination, which bring public and private sector organisations together to prioritise tourism development projects and maximise their chance for success.
West Cork and Kenmare DEDP (WAW)
Cork
City, Harbour & East Cork DEDP (IAE)
Fáilte Ireland worked with key stakeholders, industry and community to develop two Destination and Experience Development Plans for West Cork and Kenmare, along the Wild Atlantic Way. These 5-year plans - The Three Peninsulas West Cork & Kenmare and, The West Cork Coast, provide a shared vision and clear direction towards strengthening and growing the destination’s market share through the delivery of catalyst projects and hero experiences that seek to maximise the key strengths of the area. The West Cork and Kenmare DEDP launched in October 2023.
Ballyhoura
DEDP (IHH)
Process commenced in November 2024 and is due to be completed by end of 2025.
Launched on the 4th of November 2024, the Cork Destination and Experience Development Plan is a five-year sustainable tourism development plan for Cork, Ireland’s Ancient East. The plan provides the strategic framework to prioritise tourism development projects that will attract more visitors to the region and encourage them to stay longer. This includes the development of a visitor attraction of scale for Cork City and enhancing the harbour’s accessibility to create a sustainable visitor amenity that connects communities to the City. It also suggests leveraging the county’s rich food provenance to position it as a world-class gastronomy destination.
See more here: Cork City, Harbour and East Cork Destination & Experience Development Plan
Investment in Cork
Capital Investment in Cork
Platforms For Growth (2) – Facility Centres for Water Sports Activities
These best in class facilities will help extend the outdoor tourism season by providing year-round hot showers, changing rooms, toilets, secure storage, induction spaces, and equipment washdown areas. Accessibility and sustainability will be key focus points for the project, ensuring full wheelchair access and the installation of solar heating panels. It will also feature a Changing Places facility along with an accessible toilet.
Fáilte Ireland and Údarás na Gaeltachta- Cléire (Cape Clear), Co. Cork
Fáilte Ireland and Údarás na Gaeltachta (ÚnaG) in partnership with the Comharchumann Chléire Teo in Co. Cork, have announced funding to develop the Cape Clear Fastnet Experience and Heritage Centre, a project aimed at enhancing the island’s tourism appeal. This innovative centre will offer visitors a unique, immersive experience through augmented reality and 3D displays that highlight Cape Clear’s rich maritime history and cultural heritage. The project is designed to attract a greater number of tourists, thereby boosting the local economy and preserving the island’s cultural identity.
Urban Animation – Cork City Council
Five impactful public art works at locations across the city centre; the GPO, Exchange buildings, Carey’s Lane, Cook St. & Coal Quay and Cornmarket St., will create a trail highlighting Cork’s collective culture and heritage. Funding was increased to €911,810 and included an additional installation called Starstruck – which is an immersive, interactive music and light installation in the heart of the city centre (Emmet Place in an open plaza adjoining Crawford Art Gallery and Cork Opera House).
Festivals and Events
Festivals and events are a vital component of the visitor experience for local, domestic and international audience. Fáilte Ireland has identified tourism focused festivals and events as a key driver for tourism growth, particularly in the off-season. Festivals and participative events serve to increase both awareness of and dwell time in the destination, while also adding variety and diversity to the area. Investment in and business development support for festivals is helping to drive growth in the regions and draw both domestic and overseas visitors to different parts of the country in the off-peak season.
Fáilte Ireland provides funding for local and community festivals through its ‘Regional Festivals Programme’, which has been managed by Local Authorities since 2018. In addition to this Fáilte Ireland’s own Strategic Festivals Fund supports over 40 Festivals and Participative Events with a tourism focus.
Figures and information correct at the time of production (December 2024). Project costs and funding subject to change.
€1.0m
€911,810
€340,250 in festival funding
Fáilte Ireland’s Champions Programme
Fáilte Ireland’s Champions Programme is designed to help tourism businesses enhance their team’s customer service skills and build local product knowledge. The programme is tailored to each of our regional experience brands (Ireland’s Ancient East, Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands, Wild Atlantic Way and Dublin) combining our successful Local Experts and Service Excellence programmes, with specialised training in accessible tourism. Frontline tourism professionals and anyone who engages with visitors, are invited to register for one of our free Champions Programme workshops. For more info on upcoming workshops see https://www.failteireland.ie/Product-development/champions-programme.aspx
Claycastle, Co. Cork.
Fáilte Ireland Initiatives for Cork
Destination Towns – Cork City (IAE) and Bantry (WAW)
Fáilte Ireland’s Destination Towns scheme is designed to boost the attractiveness and tourism appeal of towns nationwide, and is funded under the Government’s Project Ireland 2040 Strategy. Fáilte Ireland allocated €500,000 in funding to Cork County Council to develop Bantry under this scheme and €500,000 to Cork City Council to develop Cork City under this scheme.
authorities. Recognised as a Signature Visitor Experience in Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands, it also intersects with the Wild Atlantic Way and Ireland’s Ancient East.
Fáilte Ireland is working with public and private stakeholders to establish a governance structure for the trail, covering local, county, and national levels, aimed at sustainable development and minimal environmental impact.
A finalised governance plan is expected by 2025.
International Mountain Biking Project
Cork Harbour Tourism Masterplan In partnership with Cork County Council, Cork City Council and the Port of Cork.
The overall purpose of this Masterplan is to establish Cork Harbour as a world class experience and provide new ways for the visitor to engage with the Harbour islands and communities. This project launched on February 22nd, 2024 and is due for completion in 2025.
Beara – Breifne Way (WAW/IHH)
The Beara Breifne Way, a 700km trail through counties Cork, Limerick, Tipperary, Offaly, Galway, Roscommon, Sligo, Leitrim, and Cavan, is Ireland’s largest community-based project supported by community groups and volunteers. Since 2001, it has been supported by various stakeholders, including The Heritage Council, Fáilte Ireland, and local
Gaeilge agus Fáilte
total project worth c.€13m
Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF)
Partnership Project with Coillte and other relevant Local Authorities.
This flagship national project will develop five international standard Mountain Biking Centres and 191km of new Mountain Biking looped trails, to drive economic growth across rural Ireland, as well as providing recreational, health and tourism benefits in the following locations.
• Ballyhoura (Limerick and Cork)
• Coolaney (Sligo)
• Ticknock (Dublin)
• Ballinastoe (Wicklow)
• Slieve Blooms (Offaly and Laois)
Fáilte Ireland has launched an exciting new initiative called Gaeilge agus Fáilte, aimed at promoting the Irish language through a pilot scheme. This initiative focuses on creating new content and promotional campaigns for businesses in Gaeltacht regions, where the Irish language is an integral part of the tourism experience. By highlighting these businesses, the scheme aims to attract visitors interested in Ireland’s rich linguistic and cultural heritage. This effort supports local economies and fosters a deeper appreciation of the Irish language and its role in the country’s cultural identity.
(2021 – 2026)
Powering Online Excellence
The Digital that Delivers programme is a pioneering initiative designed to transform the digital capabilities of attractions, activity providers, strategically funded festivals, and tourism-focused golf courses. This two-year development programme aims to equip up to 720 businesses with essential digital tools, skills and strategies to improve their online presence. Created in response to research highlighting low adoption of digital technology in these sectors, the programme provides resources to activate and optimise booking systems, develop accessible websites, improve customer engagement, and boost sales. It supports Fáilte Ireland’s mission to attract more visitors to emerging regions and destinations. By the end of 2026, the programme will have awarded, up to €18.4 million in investment grant-aid to businesses throughout Ireland. Fáilte Ireland predicts this investment will generate €408 million in additional economic activity over a 10year period, supporting up to 11,000 sustainable jobs across Ireland.
Fáilte Ireland is the National Tourism Development Authority and is funded by the Government of Ireland through the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
