12 October 2017
By Bryan Smyth
bryan@TheCork.ie
Fáilte Ireland, the National Tourism Development Authority, yesterday launched their ‘Get Brexit Ready’ programme at their regional industry briefing with Cork tourism businesses in the Rochestown Park Hotel, Cork earlier this week.
The tourism authority provided local tourism industry members with details about its ‘Get Brexit Ready’ programme, a suite of industry supports designed to help businesses at risk or already struggling with the loss of trade created by Brexit.
Cork Tourism operators in attendance heard how the programme allows individual businesses to self-assess their exposures and risks and provide a range of interventions to match their needs.
Fáilte Ireland’s Head of Enterprise Development, Martina Bromley, said:
“Brexit highlights the extent to which tourism is at the mercy of external factors beyond our control. However, we can meet our current challenges by working on those things which remain within our control – our visitor experiences, competitiveness, capacity and skills. To ensure this, we are delivering this programme to support tourism businesses, in Cork and beyond. We have taken care to design these supports in an innovative and accessible manner – allowing tourism businesses to continue to battle for British business while also diversifying into other markets with great potential.”
The ‘Get Brexit Ready’ programme has a dedicated ‘Get Brexit Ready’ web presence which is the Fáilte Ireland one-stop shop for all the relevant information and insights that businesses will need – from development supports and training programmes to insights and market intelligence. The web portal also includes ‘Brexit-check’ – an online tool whereby an individual business can input their own data to determine how Brexit ready they are – as well as links to a series of market insights, tips and research to help tourism operators to recalibrate their businesses appropriately to navigate through Brexit related uncertainty in Britain and other markets.
Fáilte Ireland is rolling out the initial phase of the programme in an initial €1m package of interventions for up to 1,000 businesses in Q4 this year – with further supports and budget to be earmarked for 2018.
Underpinning the relevance of the programme, by the end of this year, Fáilte Ireland estimates that Brexit will have meant 300,000 less British trips here which, taken in isolation, would represent €88m in revenue and an estimated 1,900 tourism jobs lost had the fall in British numbers not been compensated by a strong performance in other markets.
Neil Grant, Celtic Ross Hotel
Martina Bromley, Failte Ireland
Michael Lennon, Westport Woods Hotel
Marie Healy, Failte Ireland
Picture: John Sheehan Photography
Brenda Murphy, Castlemartyr Resort
Jenny De Saulles, Failte Ireland
Gillen Joyce, Titanic Experience
John Kingston, Fota Wildlife Park
Picture: John Sheehan Photography
Hal McElroy, Trident Hotel
Martina Bromley, Failte Ireland
Darren O Connor, Westport Woods Hotel
Niall MacCarthy, Cork Airport
Picture: John Sheehan Photography
