Fáilte Ireland has announced ambitious 2025 plans for Ireland’s Ancient East with focus on sustainable tourism development.
In Co Wexford there will be a development of Wexfordia. This project will transform the tourism offering in the South-East to appeal to international visitors. The first phase, enhancing the Dunbrody Famine Ship Experience, is already complete. The second phase, due for completion by 2027, will develop a world-class immersive visitor attraction telling the unique Wexford Norman story through the Norman Knight William Marshal.
Hook Head and Irish National Heritage Park will also be developed. Plans include a Viking Village concept at the Irish National Heritage Park and a new immersive experience at Hook Lighthouse, with full plans and designs expected later this year.
Over 600 tourism industry operators, providers, and employers from across Ireland’s Ancient East tuned into a special online briefing from Fáilte Ireland today which outlined the plans and priorities for the region in 2025. A robust programme of initiatives is at the heart of these plans, designed to support tourism businesses across Ireland’s Ancient East in driving revenue and maintaining competitiveness, ensuring the continued growth and sustainability of its tourism industry.
Key priorities in 2025 will focus on delivering a strong pipeline of tourism product to attract visitors to the region, motivating them to stay longer and explore further and also delivering a robust range of practical supports to help tourism businesses tackle some of the immediate challenges and opportunities facing the sector.
Recognising the unique opportunities and challenges across Ireland’s Ancient East, Fáilte Ireland’s 2025 plans focus on motivating visits, increasing reasons to stay, and working collaboratively to promote the region. Fáilte Ireland is currently collaborating with over 300 experience providers throughout the region to help attract more visitors, maximise operational efficiencies and deliver memorable experiences for visitors.
Fáilte Ireland also has projects underway in each destination across Ireland’s Ancient East aimed at encouraging greater visitor dispersal and increasing the length of stay by improving infrastructure and enabling tourism businesses to coalesce around a clear visitor proposition. Examples of these initiatives include the Cooley Orientation Plan, the reimaged Boyne Valley Drive and the Cork Harbour Tourism Plan.
In 2025 Fáilte Ireland will continue the implementation of 10 Destination & Experience Plans (DEDPs) in Ireland’s Ancient East which engage 1,200 businesses. Led by Fáilte Ireland, these plans outline actions agreed upon by local tourism industry and community stakeholders to ensure each destination reaches its full tourism potential.
Fáilte Ireland has developed a comprehensive range of support measures tailored to help the tourism industry address its most pressing challenges. These include the continued roll-out of Fáilte Ireland’s Climate Action programme which helps reduce costs, improve efficiency, and lower environmental impact. Specialised cost management clinics to help rising energy, payroll, and input costs. The Employer Excellence programme which supports the development of rewarding workplaces and careers in the sector. Fáilte Ireland is also evolving its digital supports with new initiatives in Digital Accessibility and AI in tourism for 2025.
