Fáilte Ireland's New Three-Year Plan: 7% Growth, 250,000 Jobs, and a Push Into the Regions
Fáilte Ireland has launched its Corporate Strategy 2026–2029, targeting sustained growth in domestic tourism revenue and tens of thousands of new jobs. Chief Executive Caroline Bocquel says the plan is about reaching regions and seasons the sector hasn't fully tapped — and helping 46,000 tourism SMEs get there.
The Strategy, In Numbers
On 29 July 2026, Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke launched Fáilte Ireland's Corporate Strategy 2026–2029. The strategy delivers the ambitions of the Government's national tourism policy, "A New Era for Irish Tourism," and targets 7% annual growth in domestic tourism revenue alongside the creation of 250,000 jobs across the sector over the three-year period.
Caroline Bocquel: "Over the next three years, we will concentrate on strengthening the competitiveness, capability and resilience of tourism businesses, developing world-class visitor experiences, growing domestic tourism demand and ensuring investment is targeted where it can deliver the strongest economic outcomes for destinations and communities."
Spreading Visitors Across Regions and Seasons
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Bocquel said: "Getting it more into the regions that don't currently have a lot of tourism and more evenly through the year," describing a focus on shoulder seasons and off-peak periods alongside under-visited regions. Fáilte Ireland says this is intended to unlock currently unused capacity through greater regional and seasonal dispersal.
Making Tourism SMEs More Competitive
Bocquel: "We also want to make our 46,000 tourism SMEs more competitive, focusing particularly on areas where they can lower their costs, but also connect with those visitors, particularly through developing their digital capability."
The strategy document describes moving away from "broad activity and wide programmes" toward "a targeted number of programmes that are measurable, and scalable, backed by better data, stronger partnerships, and a simpler experience for businesses engaging with Fáilte Ireland."
New Initiatives: Culinary Tourism and AI Adoption
The strategy names a new Culinary Tourism Strategy, the Outdoor Ireland programme, and enhanced enterprise supports. Bocquel: "Whether through our new Culinary Tourism Strategy, Outdoor Ireland programme, enhanced enterprise supports or strategic investment initiatives, our focus is on creating stronger tourism businesses, more compelling destinations and greater value for the sector as a whole."
The strategy also commits to "accelerating digital and AI adoption across the sector." Separately, Bocquel has noted the use of AI to plan trips has doubled in the past year and continues to grow at speed.
A More Structured Approach to Investment
The strategy commits to "a structured short, medium and long-term investment pipeline with clear criteria and timelines" designed to support Ireland's revenue, regionality and seasonality objectives together.
A Strategy That Depends on Partnership
Fáilte Ireland Chairperson Ruth Andrews: "This strategy reflects a clear focus on where Fáilte Ireland can make the greatest impact over the coming years... The strategy also recognises the importance of partnership. Achieving these ambitions will require collaboration across government, industry, local authorities and communities, and I look forward to working with our stakeholders to support delivery of this important programme of work."
The Bottom Line
Fáilte Ireland's Corporate Strategy 2026–2029 sets specific, measurable targets — 7% annual growth in domestic tourism revenue and 250,000 new jobs — built around regional and seasonal dispersal, a more competitive and digitally capable SME base, and a leaner, more targeted set of Fáilte Ireland programmes. Bocquel and Andrews have both been explicit that delivering on these ambitions will require sustained collaboration across government, industry, local authorities and communities.