Fáilte Ireland appoints CTConsults to ‘Digital that Delivers’ tourism transformation programme
Fáilte Ireland has appointed Manchester-based destination marketing and place branding experts CTConsults to deliver on a major tourism initiative that will transform the collective digital capabilities of Irish tourism businesses, so that Ireland can compete more fairly and effectively as a tourist destination at a global level.
At present, only 27% of Irish visitor experiences are bookable online with just 13% of these experiences taking advantage of a fully connected booking system that integrates with other visitor attractions. The ‘Digital that Delivers’ project aims to address this issue by providing Irish visitor attractions and providers with the digital capabilities, skills and knowhow to improve their booking revenues and operational efficiencies, to enhance their websites and online marketing, to cross-sell with other attractions, and to bolster Ireland’s online appeal to potential visitors.
CTConsults is part of a consortium of three organisations that has been appointed through a competitive tender process - with Irish digital agency Core Optimisation alongside Razor Social – that will work with Irish visitor attractions and tourism businesses to ensure they have the right digital tools and capabilities in place to optimise their product offer and bookability for potential customers.
The project forms part of an initial €6m investment by Fáilte Ireland that will better enable customers to discover and book Irish experiences and accommodation through the channels that are most convenient for them and that offer the best value. By providing specialist digital training for tourism providers, it aims to help the Irish tourism industry operate more efficiently and to recover from the impact of COVID-19 by growing in a sustainable manner.
Dan Lukas, Digital Director at CTConsults said: “Ireland is highly regarded around the world for its unique tourism offer which attracts millions of visitors every year who contribute significantly to the country’s economic prosperity. But with only a minority of Ireland’s visitor attractions and activities fully embracing a digital presence - and many of those that do still missing the opportunity to cross-promote and respond to valuable consumer insights - the country’s wider potential to compete with other global destinations is currently being held back.”
“The Digital that Delivers programme is a major investment that will change this current state of play. It will help to improve efficiencies, convenience and the overall experience for visitors and consumers of Ireland’s collective tourism product. It is an opportunity for Irish tourism providers to take a more informed approach to their marketing and product development, and to become greater than the sum of their parts by being fully integrated online. It’s a huge pleasure to be working with Fáilte Ireland and our Irish partners Core Optimisation and Razor Social on this transformative project that will significantly boost the reputation of Ireland to visitors from around the world.”
This appointment builds on previous work that CTConsults has delivered for Fáilte Ireland which has entailed a comprehensive feasibility study to make optimum recommendations for a national online distribution strategy for visitor experiences.
