Failte Ireland Web Check Initiative Launched

 

On Wednesday, Minister for Arts, Sports and Tourism, Martin Cullen, T.D. launched the new Failte Ireland Ebusiness initiative, “Web-Check” in the new Tourism & Hospitality building at Waterford Institute of Technology. The Web Check initiative has been launched to assist tourism enterprises achieve business improvement.  The project is fully funded and will enable owner/managers to identify their e-Business development needs and access a network of resources providing tailored support for web development. Failte Ireland approved IT specialist consultants work closely with individual enterprises in identifying e-Business needs and providing guidance towards the appropriate solutions. Gain advice from a mentor, working through the process with you and reviewing website usage as it applies to your business which can be very enlightening in itself. For further information or to register for this programme (the next phase begins in Sept) email webdevproject.registration@failteireland.ie  or call 1850 256 256

 

Special Offer from DayOut.ie

DayOut.ie is an online community and media web site for the Irish Leisure Industry, providing users with a free national event guide as well as information and reviews on the best activities and venues to visit. Operators interested in profiling their venue on DayOut.ie can enter comprehensive information, upload or embed video and high quality images, contact details, Google location map as well as provide discount vouchers available via download. In the coming weeks, it will also be possible to book accommodation through the site. A Nationwide Event Calendar is also due to be added. To celebrate site’s 1st Birthday (this month), they are offering interested parties the opportunity to get profiled on DayOut for 12 months for €150.00 (+Vat21%) The offer includes:

  24/7 login to manage profile text, contact details, images, location map, upload video etc.

  Rotation thru homepage of our site - seen by all visitors to dayout (Ireland and 52 countries worldwide)

  Continued promotion and marketing online via our SEO web site

  Nationwide promotion via our marketing campaign (see next month’s ‘Digital Ireland’ supplement in Irish Independent)

 

If you are interested in having your business listed on Dayout.ie please contact Fergal Walsh on 01 8497419 or email fergal@dayout.ie

 

Online Advertising

Businesses need to carefully analyse the options available in the online advertising field. Ebusiness Live recently ran a feature on online advertising and how to determine what is best for your business.  Banner ads have a different kind of impact to pay-per-click ads, which in turn are quite different to email newsletters. Often, a mix of these approaches or a combination with offline advertising proves to be the most effective route to success. Figuring out which approach best suits your business will help you build an advertising strategy that works for you. The first step is to know your market.  The decision to choose a particular advertising medium is influenced by many factors. For business-to-business communications, online is often the more effective route. Online advertising helps to reinforce offline communications and vice versa. The choice often depends in part on the size of your business. Online advertising can prove to be far more cost effective than broadcast or print advertising, enabling a business with a limited budget to gain some visibility for its products. The second important element is to understand the methods. The method chosen to advertise online will often be dictated by the aim of the campaign. Text-based pay-per-click advertising on big search engines such as Google or Yahoo are well suited to firms looking to generate sales. Social networks such as Facebook have developed a new form of text-based ads that operate on a similar basis to Google ads but offer a different means to target users. Banner ads, sponsorship and email newsletters can also help with brand reinforcement. A mixture of these approaches can often deliver the best results. Recognise the benefits No ad campaign is guaranteed to succeed, but at least with online advertising a business can track just how successful, or otherwise, its efforts have been.  Cost control is another major benefit, as advertising over the web starts at a much lower rate than print or broadcast advertising. Finally, the key issue for businesses to keep in mind when opting to advertise on the internet, or anywhere for that matter, is to seek value from the campaign. The full article is available from http://tinyurl.com/6fkk5g Source: Ebusiness Live Iss 214

 

Failte Ireland Food Costing Toolkit Launched

Fáilte Ireland, recently launched their latest version of their food costing toolkit to over 3,000 businesses throughout the tourism industry. “Quality Food for Value & Profit – A Business Toolkit in Food Costing” is designed to support the range of food operations servicing the tourism industry including pubs, clubs, restaurants, visitor attractions, bed and breakfasts and guesthouses.

Kevin Moriarty, Head of Enterprise and Management Support at Failte Ireland said “The value and importance of our food product to both domestic and international tourists cannot be underestimated, as gleaned from the annual Fáilte Ireland Visitor Attitudes Survey. This toolkit provides food operations with an excellent range of resources that assist in improving satisfaction ratings for food in terms of food quality, use of local ingredients, presentation standards and value for money.” This latest version of the toolkit, the first of its kind in Ireland, includes many additional features and is available free of charge to over 1,200 pubs involved in food, as well as over 500 restaurants and some 1,500 bed & breakfast and guesthouse operators nationwide. The CD resource offers advice and guidance in designing a profitable pub food menu and provides simple guidelines for operators considering expanding their business to offer food.  For further information please contact: Mary Cosgrave on Tel:01 8847145 A number of copies are also available from the Failte Ireland TLN (South & SE ) Office – contact a member of the team for details.

Reminder: 6 Month Evaluations!

All 2008 TLN participants who have not yet completed the 6 Month Evaluation Survey are asked to please do soon as possible. The survey has recently been posted out to all participants with a pre-addressed envelope for return. Your input into the development and enhancement of the TLN programme is appreciated. Should you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact a member of the TLN team.

Failte Ireland Optimus Awards

Thirteen tourism establishments were honoured at the Fáilte Ireland Optimus Awards held on Wednesday (July 9^th) in the Castletroy Park Hotel, Limerick.  The Optimus programme, developed by Fáilte Ireland, aims to help tourism establishments achieve excellence in every aspect of their business by providing a practical approach to boosting bottom-line performance and a focus on improving results.

John Concannon, Director of Regional Development at Fáilte Ireland, congratulated the latest recipients of Accreditation and said “Optimus is a vital tool for enterprises which aspire to reach the best international standards for service quality and business effectiveness. It enables the enterprises, and those who work in them, to develop a culture of excellence in customer service and best practice in every area of its operations.”

 

He continued “The Optimus multi-tiered programme was designed to change the service culture and engage management and staff in a continuous pursuit of improvements which would deliver a competitive edge and sustainability. These objectives are even more vital now because of the changing economic and trading environment at home and internationally, and the results to date clearly demonstrate that Optimus works on a number of fronts in raising quality standards and improving operational effectiveness and ultimately profitability.”

 

Concannon added that the 150 enterprises which had undertaken the Optimus programme to date were succeeding in raising the quality of their products and their business performance to equal the best found anywhere, and he urged more tourism enterprises to follow their example and take the Optimus road to excellence and better business.

Congratulations to TLN (South & South East) participant, The Tower Hotel, Waterford who were awarded a Mark of Best Practice at the awards.

Heritage Week 2008

This year’s Heritage Week takes place from 24^th – 31^st August 2008 and a variety of events have been arranged. Heritage Week is part of European Heritage Days, a joint initiative of the Council of Europe and the European Union. The main aim of European Heritage Days are to promote awareness of our built, natural and cultural heritage and to promote Europe’s common cultural heritage. For further information on events taking place in your area, see the website www.heritageweek.ie It is also possible to register an event on the site so if you plan on holding an event as part of Heritage Week, you can post the details to the site.

 

One Simple Question that Unlocks Sales, Growth & Loyalty

The Profitable Hospitality website recently featured some advice from a new book called The Ultimate Question. Many hospitality organisations may have run surveys before: with restaurant or cafe customers, in hotel guest rooms or for club members. The results can be useful, but are often complex and the response rates may be small. Staff may find them difficult to understand or feel they ‘don’t apply to them’. A new book called The Ultimate Question reduces the feedback issue to just one simple question, and connects a positive response to this question with the future growth and strength of a business. Here is the question: ‘How likely is it that you would recommend this business to a friend or colleague?’ From the response to this simple question (on a scale of 1 to 10), you can calculate your
Net Promoter Score. NPS measures how many of your customers are enthusiastic fans, how many are neutral, and how many actively dislike your business. The feature explains how to calculate you NPS score and also how to adapt the process to survey your staff in addition to your customers. Further information is available from http://tinyurl.com/572b6j

Food Labeling Consultations

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) recently announced a national food labeling public consultation calling on Irish food producers, consumers and interested parties to express their views and opinions on food labeling. This process is in light of an EU proposal to amend labeling regulations, which will ultimately ensure greater food safety protection by allowing consumers to make informed decisions on food purchases. The public is urged to visit www.fsai.ie/consultations to communicate its views on all food labeling issues that are of interest to them. The consultation phase will run for over two months and the closing date for responses is 19^th September 2008. All comments will be considered in the FSAI submission to the Department of Health and Children and will form the structure of Ireland’s national policy on food labeling.

The new proposed regulation will apply to all stages of the food chain and aims to consolidate and update the current EU labeling legislation, providing accurate and comprehensive information that is clearly presented on packaging. A number of proposals for food labels are covered seeking public comment and include:

• Mandatory front of pack declaration of all nutrients including energy, fats, saturates and carbohydrates
• Clarity with minimum font size of at least 3mm
• Name of food and net quantity must be declared in the same field of vision
• Allergen labeling must be displayed on all food displayed in retail outlets, restaurants and other catering outlets
• Country of origin must be declared
• Full mandatory labeling on all alcoholic beverages.

Further information is available from: http://www.fsai.ie/consultations/index.asp

EU Prize for Cultural Heritage: Europa Nostra Awards 2009

Challenges faced by the Irish Tourism Industry

The Irish tourism industry is bracing itself for one of its toughest years yet, warned a recent article in the Independent (15^th June). The weakness of the dollar and sterling against the euro has affected the numbers of UK and US visitors coming to Ireland. Last June, a hotel rate of €100 a night cost an American visitor $133. Today the same rate will set an American back $155 – 16 per cent more. The currency differentiate has impacted most heavily on hotels at the top end of the market, who have been forced to slash their rates in an attempt to counteract falling bookings. A combination of factors including the global economic slowdown, rising food costs, high oil prices and waning consuming confidence are contributing to the current situation. Sustained high oil prices will mean big rises in the price of air travel. Discretionary spend will also adjust as tourists will cut down on short breaks, trade down and shop around for hotels. Overseas visitors are likely to also cut back on the length of their trips. Advance bookings for hotels have declined with many forced to offer unsustainable rates. The article is available from http://tinyurl.com/5le749

Free English Language Course for Foreign Nationals

SAFIR English is a web-based course learning or teaching English to foreign nationals. It is the result of a transnational project between Swedish, Irish and Italian partners. The Irish promoters Roscommon Partnership Company and their project partners in Italy, the Province of Macerata, commissioned the Centre for Flexible Learning in Sweden to develop this product for beginner English language learners. The project was funded through both Irish exchequer and European Social Funds. Safir English is suitable for usage by both the individual and in the classroom. It is totally free and easy to access apart from the cost of the internet. The web address is http://www.cfl.se/safirenglish The Safir English website provides an effective use of Information Communications Technology where computer usage and language learning meet in a dynamic way. For further information, please contact: Noel Connolly, Project Manager, Safir English, Roscommon Partnership Company - e-mail: noelrpc@eircom.net

Top Tips for Search Engine Optimisation

Using the correct Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) techniques can greatly improve your website’s visibility in search engine rankings. Ebusiness Live (Iss 212) featured some top SEO tips from Francis Nesbitt, managing director of search engine marketing firm Croan.ie.

1. Select the right domain name for your business; one that includes a key term can help eg www.mcgrathmortgages.ie

2. Select the right keywords for your business or product. Keywords are the words or phrases that internet users enter into a search engine when looking for particular information online.

3. Use keywords in page titles, file names and folders on the site, and use keyword text in your navigation anchors, instead of just saying ‘click here’.

4. Create useful content for your site and include your key terms in it. In the above example, McGrath Mortgages could help boost their ranking by providing information on mortgage services and making sure to use phrases like “mortgage advice” in the text.

5. Make keywords part of your ‘meta’ description. This is a piece of HTML code that is unseen by normal visitors but visible to search engine spiders. Use it to provide a brief description of your website.

6. Use heading tags on all your web pages to describe their content, including keywords in these titles. These are essentially coded headings for web pages that grab search engines’ attention.

7. Secure high-quality incoming links, from sites ranked highly by search engines. In-bound links help to convince search engines that your website is important.

8. Create a site map of your site and let the search engines know where it is. Tools such as Google Sitemap provide businesses with a relatively easy method of developing a site map.

Further information is available from http://tinyurl.com/5lap87

Consultation on Equality & Diversity in SME’s

The European Commission has recently launched a consultation with SMEs across Europe and the EFTA-EEA area on equality and diversity. The aim of the consultation is to understand better the extent to which SMEs practice equality and diversity, even if they are not familiar with the concepts as such. The consultation offers SMEs a unique chance to influence European Commission policy and activity in this area over the coming decade.
As part of the consultation, a short questionnaire has been designed to elicit the views and practices of SMEs in the areas of human resources and business management. The questionnaire will take about 10 minutes to complete and is located at www.eim.nl/diversity
If you have any questions on the questionnaire, please contact Avine McNally on 01 605 1633.

A call for entries for the EU Prize for Cultural Heritage/Europa Nostra Awards 2009 has been made. Europa Nostra, the pan-European Federation for Cultural Heritage, is the representative platform of over 250 heritage NGOs active in 45 countries across Europe. Previous winners of the Awards include Trim Castle, the Ha’penny Bridge, Larchill Arcadian Gardens, Kylemore Abbey Walled Garden, Sligo Courthouse and the Palm House Complex at the Botanic Gardens, Dublin.
 

There are four categories; 
-   Architectural heritage
-   Cultural landscapes
-   Works of art and collections of artistic and historic significance
-   Archaeological sites
-   Industrial and engineering heritage
 
The closing date for entries is 1 October 2008.  For further information go to www.europanostra.org or telephone +31 70 302 40 59

Green Energy Certificate awarded to Ferrycarraig Hotel

Bord Gáis Energy Supply recently awarded a Green Certificate to the Ferrycarrig Hotel in Co. Wexford. The Green Certificate acknowledges that all electricity consumed by the hotel is derived from renewable energy sources. In an initiative led by senior management over the last two years, the Ferrycarrig Hotel has set out an Environmental Policy and appointed an Environmental Manager, Chris Culleton, to lead a process of change. “The starting point was an energy audit, assessing how energy was used across the hotel,” said Mr. Culleton. “The audit looked at everything including how often the dishwasher was put on, what time automatic lights were coming on in the evenings and where our electricity comes from. This was not just about cost savings for us but achieving the highest standards of environmental friendly tourism across Europe and responding to the demand from our guests for more environmentally conscious products and services.”

The next step was seeking an energy supplier who could provide green electricity to the hotel. According to Chris Culleton, the hotel approached a number of suppliers enquiring about the possibility of supplying the hotel with green electricity. He added; “We were impressed both by the competitive offer available through Bord Gáis Energy Supply and their response on green electricity. Although some additional investment is required over traditional sources, we would not be able to take this step if it was not an economically viable option for The Ferrycarrig.”

Bord Gáis Energy Supply has developed a renewable electricity product to help customers meet their environmental obligations. Currently Bord Gáis Energy Supply provides electricity to over 8,500 businesses around Ireland. Green electricity refers to all electricity produced from renewable sources such as wind, solar or tidal power. According to Sustainable Energy Ireland, a business with a basic energy management plan can reduce their annual energy costs by up to 25%.  Bord Gáis Energy Supply has supplied electricity to businesses since 2001 and is currently targeting SME’s with a cost savings offer for those choosing to switch over to Bord Gáis Energy Supply.

For further information contact: Stiofáin MacDháibhéad, Bord Gáis Energy Supply on 01 602 1116 or email smacdhai@bordgáis.ie

Proposed Changes to Licensing Laws

The Irish Nightclub Industry Association [INIA] is the national representative body for nightclub owners and operators in the Republic of Ireland. Nightclubs are facing the introduction of earlier closing times as part of the Government’s Liquor Licensing Bill 2008. This Bill, expected to be introduced before July 3rd 2008, will close every late night venue, nationwide, at 2.30am 6 nights a week, and at the earlier hour of 1am on Sundays. These will be the latest possible opening hours, with earlier closing times in various counties / districts. The INIA opposes these proposals and is instead seeking: (1)The introduction of a Nightclub Permit, to properly regulate the industry, (2) The introduction of Sequential Closing. This staggered closing approach, reduces the risks of public disorder that arises when all late night venues are emptied at the same time (3) Sunday closing times to be the same as every other night of the week (4) To be allowed entertain customers for a period after they have stopped serving alcohol. For further information on the proposed changes see www.inia.ie   A survey to gauge public opinion on these changes is also available on the site.

All Ireland Farmers Market Competition

The inaugural All-Ireland Farmers’ Market competition takes place on the 28th and 29th June, in the town of Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford. Some of the countries’ leading stallholders, from Kerry to Mayo, will be in attendance. The market will run both days to coincide with the competition, which has an attractive Prize Fund of €5,000. The judging criteria will be in categories of Product, Presentation, Value, Traceability and Stand Holder’s Enthusiasm. The All-Ireland farmers’ Market Competition will emphasise the best in Irish, quality produce from across the country. It promises to be a huge attraction for stall holders to display and sell their local quality products and for food lovers to sample the best Irish food. Thus far, the product range is simply spectacular. Amongst an array of premium products are pates from the Dingle peninsula, crepes from Kildare, organic sirloin beef burgers from Tipperary, organic vegetables and preserves from Cork, goatsmilk soaps from Mayo as well as dry cured bacon, farmhouse cheeses, cakes, flowers, plants, soft fruits and more from the county of Wexford itself. Stallholders can still enter by phoning Anne on 053 9233540: food lovers can just turn up and sample the delights of the finest of Ireland’s farmers’ market produce.

Gulliver Ireland Presentation

Following a request arising from the East Cork FI TLN Nicki Stephens, Gulliver Ireland Southern Region Representative, provided a presentation in the Radisson Hotel, Little Island on Thursday 12th June.   Nicki’s presentation focused on Optimizing Utilization and Exposure through Gulliver Ireland’s reservations facility and provided details of Gulliver Ireland’s sales channels, services and the GullNet extranet system.  The following details Gulliver Ireland services:

-      Tourist Office Booking Report

-      Websites Activity Reports - identifies what websites, yielded bookings, conversion rate and value

-      Websites Rejected Bookings report  lists all searches that were rejected due to lack of availability

-      Year to date booking volume and revenue with percentage difference on the same period for the previous year

-      Booking number and revenue for previous 2 years and percentage difference

-      Market share

-      Rate review and competitive position

-      Allocation review

-      Review of property information and photos on the Gulliver Ireland website GoIreland.com

-      Review of property information and photos on the Tourist Information Office database

-      Recommendation and suggestions to improve bookings and increase revenue.

 

Please find a copy of the Gulliver Ireland presentation in the Templates & Presentations section of the extranet - FI TLN South Gulliver Ireland Presentation 12th June ‘08 folder.

76 of the 2007 FI TLN Participants pass the Certificate in Tourism Business Practice

76 Failte Ireland TLN participants (from the South & South East) who completed the 2007 TLN programme and submitted documents for the Certificate in Tourism Business Practice recently received notification from Waterford Institute of Technology that they had successfully passed. Their submissions were examined both internally in the Institute and externally by Prof Tom Baum of the University of Strathclyde. The participants will be conferred with their Certificates at the Waterford Institute of Technology Graduation Ceremony which will take place in October. The FI TLN team would like to extend our heartiest congratulations to all the successful participants and we look forward to seeing them at the conferring ceremony in October. We hope that participants on the 2008 programme will be encouraged by their fellow 2006 and 2007 members and submit for the Certificate in Tourism Business at the end of year.

 

Waterford County leads the way in Recreational Trail Planning

Waterford County was recently successful in its bid to become the first county to develop a County Recreational Trails Plan.  This initiative is supported by the Irish Sports Council through the National Trails Advisory Committee and will set out a planning framework for the development of recreational trails in the county over the next 5 years.  This plan will serve as a template for other counties in developing and implementing similar plans.   Partners in the project are Waterford County Council (lead); Waterford Leader Partnership; Failte Ireland; Coillte; Southern Regional Fisheries Board; Waterford City Council and the National Trails Office/Irish Sports Council.  To date two workshops have taken place with key stakeholders in the county.  The workshops have sought to illustrate the importance and value of planning for sustainable recreational trails and with key stakeholders, to identify the potential in the county, as a first step in the formulation of a county plan for recreational trails.  It is intended that by the end of June, the draft Plan will be in place, with the County Trails Recreational Plan scheduled for adoption – after further public consultation – before the end of the year.  For information on the Irish Trails Strategy, see www.walkireland.ie. Further Information contact:         Caroline O’ Brien, Waterford Leader Partnership Ltd, phone 058-45300 or email caroline.obrien@wlp.ie.

 

Winner of Hospitality Diversity Awards Announced

The Winners in the four categories of the NPAR sponsored Hospitality Diversity Awards were announced earlier this week.  The winners were:  

·         The Shelbourne Hotel - Hotel (Groups) category

·         Dunboyne Castle Hotel and Spa - Hotel (Individual) category

·          Aramark/Campbell Catering -  Catering Operations category

·         Noel Recruitment -  Hospitality Recruitment category

Each was recognized for nurturing a wide diversity of staff backgrounds through structured and meaningful integration strategies and resources. The Hospitality Diversity Awards have been funded by the National Action Plan Against Racism, and were developed to recognize and celebrate the initiatives, policies and practices taken by both companies and individuals who have embraced diversity within the Irish Hospitality and Tourism industry.

Speaking, on behalf of NPAR, Philip Watt, Director of the National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism (NCCRI) and a member of the Steering Committee for the National Action Plan Against Racism said he was; “Struck by one submission in particular that noted that the implementation of a diversity policy had helped improve employee morale. As a result, staff retention figures improved, producing a more stable workplace for employer and employee alike.”

 Mr Watt encouraged businesses to take useful information like this on board when planning for the future as it highlighted that the direct positive impact on the business as a whole is something that should encourage all businesses - not just those in the hospitality sector - to treat the issue of diversity and inclusion as an economic imperative.    

The Diversity Awards aim to reward cultural integration, recognise the work done to welcome international workers to Ireland as well as those with disabilities and varied backgrounds and in doing so, to acknowledge awareness training that has been carried out by the industry. The awards help to showcase the benefits from such initiatives and the examples of best practice for other Irish businesses to follow 

Cork City Council – Local Transport Plan

In 2009 Cork City will produce a Local Transport Plan. The aim of the plan is to provide a direction and focus for Cork City Council to enable them to facilitate the provision of a high quality sustainable transport system. Cork City Council recognizes the importance of asking for the views of those who live, work and use transport systems in Cork City and are inviting those groups/organizations or individuals who have an interest in traffic issues to participate in the consultation. The Traffic Division of Cork City Council will be establishing focus groups to discuss the plan during its implementation and draft stages - (1) Public goods provision e.g. buses; taxis (2) Disability and access (3) Business (4) Environmental and (5) Other groups or individuals interested in transport issues

Anyone interested in participating in a focus group should contact Cork City Council Traffic Division, VHI House, 70 South Mall,Cork Tel: 021 4924768 or Email: gill_weyman@corkcity.ie Deadline for expressions of interest is Friday 27^th June 2008.

Useful Link - Get Safe Online

 

This site, backed by the UK government, is specifically aimed at helping small businesses and home users protect themselves while online. A dedicated section for SME owners offers plenty of advice on everything from writing a security plan and protecting servers to using encryption and preventing fraud. The site also features true stories of online crime, a blog on the latest security news, and a safety quiz to help you gauge how secure your online practices are.

http://www.getsafeonline.org/

 

Source: Ebusiness Live Iss 212

Participant 6 Month Evaluation Survey

We would encourage any participants who have not yet completed the 6 month Evaluation to do so as soon as possible. Your feedback is very valuable to us and will be used to further develop and enhance the programme and ensure participants achieve maximum benefit from their involvement. The survey can be completed by clicking on the following link   http://tinyurl.com/58jc48 and entering your log-in details for the Extranet. When you have completed the survey please click on “Save and Close” in the blue bar in the top left hand corner of the page. Should you have any queries or experience any difficulties with the online version of the survey, please contact amwalsh@wit.ie

Heritage Island – New Downloadable Discount Pass

Heritage Island has launched Ireland Visitor Discounts, a new brochure to promote Ireland’s culture and heritage. It features 130 well known theatres, festivals, visitor attractions, craft and lifestyle centres, including Waterford Crystal Visitor Centre, Lough Key Forest and Activity Park, Marble Arch Caves, Abbey Theatre, Town Hall Theatre, and the Kilkenny Arts Festival. An on-line version is available at www.IrelandVisitorDiscounts.com .  A free Discount Pass is included, which visitors can print and bring with them to avail of the listed discount. The pass provides various discounts at venues featured on the website. The brochure and website are both worth up to €400, in savings on admission prices. For further information please contact: Helen Cole, Marketing Manager, Heritage Island on (01) 236 6890 or email: info@heritageisland.com  

Newly Developed National Looped Walks throughout the island of Ireland

Fáilte Ireland with support from the Dept of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht affairs has developed 78 loop walks throughout the country over the last two years. The walks come under the themes Heritage, Nature, Mountain and Coastal. Market Research by Failte Ireland had shown that most walking visitors are occasional walkers-this is broadly defined as a person that has variable fitness levels, limited navigation skills and unlikely to have done research on walks prior to arrival. Visitors are now seeking quality looped walks in areas of outstanding scenic beauty, off road & of 1.5-3 hours in duration. Visitors also want to interact with local people and enjoy a relaxing, peaceful holiday in rural areas.

Phase three of the National Looped walks initiative has been completed, with looped walks in 18 counties. A number of walks have two-three loops from the trailhead to choose from. Each trailhead provides facilities such as car parks, map boards and picnic areas. By the end of 2008 over 100 looped walks in 26 counties will be completed. Local community & walking groups have been very supportive of the initiative as have the Irish Sports Council and Coillte.

The walking product made up of national way marked ways, Coillte Walks, heritage trails and escorted walking holidays has been further enhanced with the development of looped walks. The website www.discoveireland.ie/walking gives details for all looped walks including directions and downloadable maps for visitors to take with them. It also gives details for all walking operators and links to other walks available to visitors. It is planned to further enhance the website later this year. In conjunction with Coillte, a national Trails day is planned for the Autumn to highlight the abundance of walks available throughout the country.

Online Marketing in Irish Hospitality Industry

A feature in yesterday’s Irish Independent Business section, focused on how Ireland’s hospitality sector spends just 1pc of it’s marketing budget online and consequently, is now falling behind global standards. About 80pc of Irish people research online before booking their holidays and both Aerlingus.com and Ryanair.com are among the top-visited sites in Ireland. Yet at home, the average online marketing spend for the hospitality industry is 1pc of its overall budget. The consumer has gone online but where is the tourism sector?

To reach this digital audience, businesses should be breaking down their advertising spend accordingly. The challenge for the owner-manager to take control of a website, email marketing and IT is becoming more complex and very often they do not have the in-house resources or the budgets to hire in experts. Jan Blanchard, founder of social networking travel site Touristr, sees mass collaboration and crowd wisdom as the way forward, especially for the independent hotel and B&B owner. “In 2007, more travel sales were booked online than in person. So that means if we want to increase visitors to Ireland, we need to shift more of our budget to the web. “We need Irish travel websites where users can see practical information, research travel plans, read user reviews and look at user photos and videos,” says Blanchard. “The ideal is a mix between a tourist office, a travel agent and a social network so that everyone around the world can relate to people’s experiences when they think about Ireland,” he suggests.

The same is true of using the social web: why does a travel site with user-generated content, like TripAdvisor.com, have in-depth listings of Irish B&Bs where time and care has been taken to write a full review and add pictures, yet there is no way to click through and book a property online, whereas the bigger hotels are using these sites to their advantage?

Conor Daly from Travel Logic says “it is not good enough to simply be listed online with a third-party booking engine strapped onto your site. The tech-savvy tourist wants narrowed-down results.” Another problem is that with more people booking direct, the travel agencies are moving online and the smaller properties now need to have the technological know-how to get listed properly with them. Not a problem, says Blanchard: “It’s not a big investment, and with the right partner a small B&B can set up a website with a booking engine and collaboration tools and be distributed worldwide.”

“Businesses and tourists can collaborate to increase the Ireland brand. The hospitality industry is well aware of the user-generated content boom, but for some of them, they still don’t know how to tap into it.” Ireland should take inspiration from countries like Switzerland and New Zealand, where tourist authorities have set up social networking platforms and allowed providers to feature their services”, he suggests. The key, it seems, for the smaller players in the travel industry is not a huge budget and mass migration to the web but rather mass collaboration and looking to central sites and the individual tourist to promote brand Ireland.

“For a small B&B, allowing your web visitors to record and read reviews means people will share their experiences, not only about the room but about the full experience. This is so powerful that web visitors will make up their mind from reading these experiences,” says Blanchard. Source: Irish Independent 12/06/08 – Article by Marie Boran (Silicon Republic)

E-learning Modules

 

All TLN participants will have recently received, by post, a copy of a flyer regarding the Harvard Business School E-modules in Business Planning and Marketing Essentials which are now available through the National TLN website. To access the modules, go to www.tourismlearningnetworks.ie ,click on Network Members Area in the top left hand corner and then click on the E-learning icon. You can view a demo of the modules before commencing them if you wish. To access the modules you are required to enter your log-in details for the TLN site. All of those who successfully complete the E-modules will be awarded a Certificate of Completion. Please contact amwalsh@wit.ie with any queries.

Age Equality in the Hospitality Industry

In his keynote address at the recent National Hospitality Managers Conference, the president of the IHI, Ewan Plenderleith, invited his audience to “embrace older workers. We hospitality professionals should open our minds to the recruitment and fostering of “Golden Age” staff’”. The presentations from the conference, which took place on 22^nd May, are now available on www.ihi.ie  The IHI in partnership with the Equality Authority are holding a training event entitled “Age Equality – Untapped Potential” on July 1^st in the Conrad Hotel in Dublin. The event runs from 10.30am – 1pm and admission is free. For further information, please contact Anne Corrie on 01 6624790 or email info@ihi.ie

 

 

 

 

Seedcorn Business Competition 2008

 

Seedcorn is an annual business competition for early stage or high-growth companies in any sector from across the island of Ireland. Organised by business development body InterTrade Ireland, the competition is aimed at companies that have new equity funding requirements. A prize fund of EUR280,000 will be divided among the winners in a number of categories, including Best Emerging Company and Best Emerging International Company. Entrants must register on the Seedcorn website, where they can then upload their business plan for assessment by a panel of judges. The closing date for entries is 26 September.       

http://www.seedcorncompetition.com/

Source: Ebusiness Live Iss 211

 

The Mediators Institute of Ireland

The Mediators’ Institute of Ireland (the MII) was established to promote the use of quality mediation as a process of dispute resolution in all areas by ensuring the highest standards of education, training and professional practice of mediation and by increasing public awareness of mediation.  Research is showing that mediation is the most successful of the conflict resolution processes and has a success rate of over 80% either at or shortly after the mediation.  MII provides a full listing, along with profiles, of available, accredited Mediators according to location and their specialisation in Family, Civil & Commercial, Organisation & Workplace and Community mediation services:

http://www.themii.ie/find-a-mediator.jsp

 

 

Climate Change Conference Presentations

CHANGE, the Irish initiative on increasing the awareness of the consequences of climate change, recently held a series of events. A report on the Cork event was included in the Weekly Update recently. The goal of the events was to further develop partnerships and increase awareness of the issues of climate change among a variety of sectors including Tourism & SME’s. These events filled in information gaps on climate change, explained what others are doing to reduce their carbon emissions, provided the opportunity to partner with the CHANGE campaign, allowed people input into how the campaign should develop for their sector. The speakers presentations are now available from http://www.change.ie/en/Conference-Centre/

As part of ‘Change’ - Ireland’s Climate Change awareness campaign - an

online conference will take place today - Friday, 6th June at 4pm. From this afternoon, the CHANGE campaign is streaming videos from a recent Dublin event, with presentations from the following:

• The Minister for the Environment, Heritage & Local Government, Mr. John Gormley T.D - Mr. Gormley will talk about the challenge of climate change for Ireland and the policy and initiatives in place at both a national and EU level to tackle it.
• Ms. Elizabeth Arnett, Director of the CHANGE campaign. Elizabeth will give an overview of the campaign and what it hopes to achieve.
• Dr. Conor Murphy - a member of ICARUS, a climate change research group based in NUI, Maynooth - Conor will look at the science, impacts and policy of climate change.
• Mr. Dermot Breen, Director of Corporate Affairs and Communications for Tesco Ireland. Dermot will give an overview of what Tesco Ireland are doing in order to reduce their impact on climate change.

 

This online event will be supported by a Questions & Answer session with

the speakers today - Friday 6th June at 4pm. To access the online conference, go to

http://www.change.ie/Conference-Centre/Live-web-chat/

 

3 Tips to Improve your Focus

Andre Kibbe (author of Tools for Thought blog http://tools-for-thought.com/ ) recently suggested a simple strategy for keeping your mind on the tasks or goals at hand — or, as he puts it, returning your attention to your intention. The trick? Creating visual cues that let you literally keep your eyes on the prize. Three great tips that’ll improve your focus

- Review your calendar first thing in the morning. This visual cue creates a focus for the day, says Kibbe, before your mind has a chance to wander.

- Create reminders to reinforce new habits.
Set alarms on your computer, watch or cellphone to remind you to tackle your action. A key hint: Set reminders for just before you think you’ll forget, not earlier, for maximum reinforcement effect.

- Make sure the actions on your task list can be visualized.
Avoid abstractions like “learn” and “remind.” Instead, use words like “read” or “call.”

This visual cue creates a focus for the day, says Kibbe, before your mind has a chance to wander. Source: http://blogs.bnet.com/

WIT now recruiting for participation on Executive Higher Diploma in Management [part-time] and MBA [part-time] commencing September 2008

 

The Graduate School of Business at Waterford Institute of Technology has provided individuals across the South East with the knowledge and the skills to innovate, change and excel. The Department of Graduate Business is now recruiting for the next intake for its Executive MBA [part-time] and its Executive Higher Diploma in Management [part-time] commencing September 2008. Our MBA is fully affiliated with the MBA Association of Ireland and links with business schools and speakers from around the world. And now, through our international study programme, you will also visit our partner universities and leading edge organisations in the USA as part of your MBA. To learn more about our Executive MBA and Higher Diploma programmes call 051 302424 or visit our website www.wit.ie. Alternatively, email graduatebusiness@wit.ie.

 

Innovation Fund 2008

Fáilte Ireland’s Tourism Innovation Fund encourages innovation and investment across a range of new products, with a strong emphasis on products designed to attract and hold visitors outside the mature urban tourism areas. Funding is provided for feasibility studies and specific expansionary Business Plans. The aims and objectives of the Tourism Innovation Fund are to foster a culture of innovation and research in tourism that will support the development of new or varied concepts, products, services and business processes and to assist potential investors of new/innovative tourist projects in assessing the viability of such concepts. Eligible applicants may be private sector, public sector bodies and not-for-profit bodies. Further information is available from http://tinyurl.com/5jr79l  For queries contact Gordon Gaffney on 01-6024283 or gordon.gaffney@failteireland.ie  

Useful Link – Google Services

Go to this link for an article on some useful Google Services that you may not have been aware of http://tinyurl.com/6jn9cj It includes information on a number of quality, free promotion services that are available from Google that you could use to promote your tourism business. Google Local Business, Google Maps, Photo Albums, Google Calendar, Youtube Channels and Google Docs are some of the applications discussed.

Safe Food to Go Booklet outlines Food Safety Skills

The FSAI last week published a guidance booklet Safe Food to Go to promote and advise on best hygiene and food handling practices for ‘food to go’ businesses. For the first time this publication is being made available in eight languages to cater for the range of ethnic food outlets and take-aways in Ireland and to ensure that food businesses are aware of the food safety skills their staff are obliged to demonstrate before providing food to consumers. It highlights the importance of following a set of strict guidelines when preparing and handling food to go and will be of particular interest to owners, managers and staff of take-away outlets, forecourt garages supplying food and any retailer providing ready-to-eat meals. According to the FSAI, the booklet aims to act as an educational tool and training aid for employers within the food industry to ensure that all those handling convenience food are fully up to speed on the dangers of food poisoning and how it can be easily prevented. It is a legal requirement that all staff handling food are supervised and trained in food hygiene commensurate with their responsibilities. To download a copy of Safe Food to Go, click on the following link http://tinyurl.com/5pm2ao

Minister Cullen welcomes Increase in Domestic Holidays in 2007

The Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Martin Cullen, T.D., last week welcomed the publication by the of final domestic tourism figures for 2007. The CSO reported that there was an increase of almost 12% in domestic holiday trips taken in 2007 compared to 2006, with a corresponding increase of almost 18% in domestic holiday expenditure. “These figures are very encouraging” the Minister said. “I am very pleased to see that more and more Irish people are choosing to holiday at home. The domestic holiday market is key for Irish tourism.” The figures released by CSO today show that over 4.27 million domestic holiday trips were taken in 2007, an increase of 11.6% on 2006.  Domestic holiday expenditure increased by 17.8% to €1,028 million. “In terms of Irish tourism, the focus naturally tends to be on the number of overseas visitors but we should not forget the importance of domestic tourism. The fact that domestic holidays are now worth over a billion euro per annum shows just how critical this sector is, in particular for the regions. I would like to take this opportunity to remind Irish people of the  range of destination options and value to be found at home, whether for   short breaks or longer holidays, as highlighted in the Discover Ireland brochure and website”, Minister Cullen concluded.

Strategies for Successful Pricing during an Economy downturn

BNET recently drew attention to an interview that appeared the FT’s Management Blog, which outlined how managers should prepare to avoid common pitfalls of pricing given the current uncertain economic climate. The interview provided three key insights for managers tasked with pricing products:

·         Understand how price-sensitive customers will behave - and act on that knowledge more quickly than competitors. A recession can be an opportunity to learn faster about changing customer behavior and gain advantage through this insight. By paying attention to your customers’ customers (and their customers), you can identify problems before your business crashes into some unforeseen pricing reality.

·         Consider the longer-term strategy before changing prices.  The great danger is you take sensible short-term decisions that can damage your long term brand value.

·         Be sympathetic to cash-strapped customers - and take care not to start a destructive price war by accident. Make sure your price cuts don’t appear to be panicked reactions to falling sales. Your rivals will be watching you closely, and you don’t want to start a price war. If that’s a possibility, it’s better to promise to match competitors’ prices. And if it’s your competition that’s slashing process, think carefully before following suit.

Source: BNET Insight http://blogs.bnet.com May 19^th 2008

South East Region – Promotional Video

Some participants have expressed an interest in providing a link to the South East Region promotional video on their websites. The video was produced by Failte Ireland and presented by RTE travel presenter and Carlow native, Kathryn Thomas. It is available on the South East section of the Discover Ireland website, where you can also request a copy of the DVD. Information on the video and a link to it on the Discover Ireland site have been posted on the TLN blog - http://mergo.wordpress.com/

Cookery School Call Out

 

Do you love cooking but find the art of baking a bit of a mystery? Does your bread fail to rise? Do your cakes go soggy? Maybe you loved baking as a child but have since lost the skill?
Cactus TV are looking for people to learn to bake as part of a new cookery series – so if you’d like to pick up some top tips from a TV chef, are aged between 20-40, are available at weekends in June, and live in or around Cork, then email bake@cactustv.co.uk ASAP with a photo and your name, address, age, and why you’d love to be part of their baking school.

New Channels for Customer Feedback

That staple fixture of a million office-based cartoons – the suggestion box - is alive and well and living on the Web. But it is not the suggestion box as we know it. Starbucks, Salesforce.com and Dell have all opened up public forums for customer ideas and feedback. Their aim is to tap into the creativity of their customer base and harvest the best ideas. How do they pick the best ideas? They let the customers choose them. All the customer-submitted ideas are voted on by other members of the customer forum. Some gain a following and rise to the top. Others die off. The key point? This process happens in public, transparently - and much more cost-effectively than other forms of customer research. “The dead-end suggestion box and the auto-reply are symbols of corporate indifference and are no longer tolerated,” says Salesforce chief executive Marc Benioff. Ideastorm.com was set up by Dell last year to build an online community “that brings all of us closer to the creative side of technology”. Since then, it has gathered almost 9,000 ideas, and these have been voted on over 600,000 times. So far, so good. But before a company dives into an online dialogue with customers, it needs to consider some serious questions, such as:

 

1. Negative comments: How robust a debate do you want to foster? How much negative commentary will be allowed?

2. Censorship allegations: If the company removes negative comments will it be attacked for censorship on

top of whatever the original complaint was?

3. Motivating users: What is the best way to get customers to join in and contribute? Will they do it altruistically, or will they need a more tangible incentive?

4. Legal risk: How can the company manage legal risks, such as the dangers of defamation and copyright breach?

5. Staffing and training: What resources will be needed to manage the conversation and ensure that it creates value for the company?

6. Fostering discontent: If some criticism is ill-informed, will other customers realise this, or will they take it at face value? Will giving unhappy customers a platform lead to many more complaints?

Benioff argues that in our networked age all companies and brands are being talked about by their customers constantly. Fostering that conversation at least gives the company a chance to join in. Ultimately, the decision is whether the company really wants to join in a conversation with customers - or just wants to say it does.

 

Source: “State of the Net” Iss 9 Summer 2008 - AMAS Ltd

 

Enterprise Europe Network Ireland

This new site aims to be a one-stop shop for Irish SMEs looking to do business and find technology partners in Europe. EEN Ireland is administered by Enterprise Ireland and the Chambers in Cork, Dublin, Galway, Sligo and Waterford; the Irish network is part of a wider European network comprised of nearly 600 partner organisations in over 40 countries. The site offers guidance in a wide range of areas, including information on EU legislation, help with identifying market opportunities and finding business partners in Europe, assistance with IP licensing and technology transfer, and advice on gaining access to European research funding. http://www.een-ireland.ie

Useful Link – www.dochara.com

DoChara.com is an unofficial guide to Ireland, providing unbiased information for anyone who plans to tour Ireland independently, whether by car, on foot, by bicycle or in some other way. It aims not just to provide information to make touring Ireland easier and more enjoyable, but to give visitors a taste of the real Ireland. To find out about advertising your business or service on this site go to http://www.dochara.com/advertise.php

Responsible Workplaces

 Increasing numbers of companies from all over Ireland are now engaging in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). This highlights the role that business can play in contributing to a better society by actively engaging and consulting with stakeholders – including customers, shareholders, the local community and employees – in a manner that goes beyond its financial and legal commitments.

There are four pillars of CSR:
• Community
• Environment
• Workplace
• Marketplace

Due to increased competition in the employment market, many Irish firms have realised that when workplace initiatives are introduced, they can nurture a working environment that can help to develop and retain staff, while also attracting recruits of the highest calibre. Irish employers are becoming aware that employees provide the know-how, productivity, customer service and innovativeness necessary for business activity. They also believe that their continued success is reliant on the commitment of their staff, which can be encouraged through positive CSR practices that impact on both an individuals’ personal and working life. Chambers Ireland’s President’s Awards for CSR have been recognising the best practice being done by companies in Ireland in the areas of Community, Environment and Workplace. Further information is available on the Chambers Ireland website – http://tinyurl.com/5aos5g

Discover Irelands South East….

Experience a wonderful holiday you’ll never forget with the sunniest climate in Ireland, unique heritage, vibrant cities and towns, and a scenic landscape that is a natural playground for an activity based holiday. 

There’s so much to see and do! To get you started check out the highlights of our region on the South East Dvd.