Fáilte Ireland is responsible for the development of Irish tourism and for the marketing activities focused on the domestic market. Under the National Tourism Development Authority Act of 2003, the Government brought together CERT (The Council for Education, Recruitment and Training, established in 1963) and Bord Fáilte (The Irish Tourist Board, established in 1952) and established the new organisation, Fáilte Ireland.
The Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB) was established in 1948 to develop the tourism industry in Northern Ireland and to take responsibility for marketing, which it did during the difficult times of political turmoil and violence. Bord Fáilte had responsibility for national and international marketing for the Republic of Ireland. Under the framework of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, Tourism Ireland was established, with responsibility for marketing the entire island of Ireland. The government established Fáilte Ireland in 2003 to develop the Irish tourism industry and to market domestically. NITB has responsibility for marketing within Northern Ireland and also to the Republic of Ireland. Prior to the establishment of Fáilte Ireland, tourism promotion and development was regionalised through seven regional tourism organisations, established in 1964. All seven regional organisations have now been incorporated into Fáilte Ireland.
Fáilte Ireland leads an extensive domestic holiday campaign via www.discoverIreland.ie, which features comprehensive information and listings for Irish accommodation, activities, events, tourist attractions and Irish holiday special offers.
For further information, log on to www.failteireland.ie |