Fáilte Ireland’s Employer Excellence Awards took place last week, in the Lyrath Estate Hotel, in Kilkenny. This is the second year of the award ceremony.
The awards celebrate businesses that have demonstrated commitment to making the tourism industry an appealing and rewarding place to work through their participation in Fáilte Ireland’s Employer Excellence programme.
O’Callaghan Coaches from Co. Kerry received the Outstanding Employer Award.
‘Best-In-Class Examples’
“A key element of Fáilte Ireland’s Employer Excellence programme is putting the views of tourism employees front and centre, and tonight’s winning businesses have all been chosen based on employee feedback,” said Jenny De Saulles, Fáilte Ireland’s director of sector development.
“Over 27,000 tourism employees have already been engaged and positively impacted by this initiative, so it’s fantastic to gather together to showcase the best-in-class examples of employers, along with those professionals who are thriving in the tourism industry.”
Unique Benefits
The Employer Excellence Programme was developed by Fáilte Ireland to continuously build quality workplaces that offer appealing and rewarding careers, wherein employees can develop and progress. In two years, considerable progress has been made, with 64% of employees saying that they enjoy the unique benefits of their roles, and over 70% recognising improved employee communication and involvement.
Over 260 tourism businesses are currently participating in the Fáilte Ireland programme, which launched in September 2022.
Employee Engagement
As part of the programme, a survey was conducted with staff of participating businesses, giving them the chance to highlight the strengths of their workplace, along with areas for further development.
Fáilte Ireland is now supporting these businesses to implement the actions identified in its survey, to further enhance employee engagement.
The winning businesses were chosen based on this employee feedback, as well as completion of the dedicated management training programme.
Winners
The 14 winning businesses announced on the night were:
Outstanding Employer: O’Callaghan Coaches, Kerry
Best Employer – Wild Atlantic Way: Sandhouse Hotel, Donegal
Best Employer – Ireland’s Ancient East: Goldie Fish and Ale
Best Employer – Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands: Ballyhass Adventure Park, Cork
Best Employer – Dublin: DoDublin, Dublin
Best Employer – Large Business: Trump International, Clare
Best Employer – Medium Business: Aspect Hotel Park West, Dublin
Best Employer – Small Business: Smithwick’s Experience, Kilkenny
Best Employer – Attraction: GPO Museum, Dublin
Best Employer – Food and Drink: Elbow Lane Brew and Smoke House, Cork
Best Employer – Hotel Group: PREM Group, National
Best Employer – Golf: Carne Golf Links, Mayo
Best Employer – Adventure: Vagabond Tours, Wicklow
Best Employer – Tour Operator/DMC: Odyssey International, Dublin
‘Positive Impact’
“The Fáilte Ireland Employer Excellence Awards are a celebration of the businesses who have set the industry standard for employee engagement and workplace culture in the tourism sector,” said Paul Kelly, Fáilte Ireland CEO.
“According to our latest labour market research, this positive impact can already be seen, as 88% of employees in the sector now view tourism as a long-term career option – an increase of 17% on the previous year.”
