- Doolin awarded destination of excellence under Fáilte Ireland accreditation system
- 120 frontline staff across 41 local businesses competed course
Niall Hughes chair of Doolin tourism and moderator Eoghan Corry at the GeoparkLIFE: Tourism for Conservation Conference
Doolin has become the first town to be receive the Destination Award for Excellence in Customer Service under Fáilte Ireland’s accreditation system. To achieve the Award, Tourism businesses in Doolin undertook Fáilte Ireland’s Accredited Service Excellence Programme with 120 local tourism frontline staff across 41 local businesses completing a dedicated course of customer care training. it follows the designation of Westport as Ireland’s first desination of excellence last August.
Niall Hughes, Chair of Doolin Tourism said: “Today’s award for Doolin is a validation of the warmth and welcoming nature of its people, who annually host hundreds of thousand of happy visitors. We are thrilled that our little village has been recognised for its big heart’ and the award is a confirmation that Doolin guarantees “best in class” customer service with a memorable stay and experience for every guest. It shows that a Sustainable Tourism product based on its community and people is the true lifeblood of any village and we hope that Today’s Award will encourage visitors new and old to come and enjoy staying longer in Doolin the Heart and Soul of the Wild Atlantic Way.”
Dean Panter, Development Manager Hospitality Operations at Fáilte Ireland said “Fáilte Ireland’s Accredited Services Excellence Programme is aimed at helping tourism businesses reach the highest standards in customer care, which can result in major benefits such as business growth, additional repeat business, increased visitor spend and positive recommendations. The Award can be presented to individual businesses or to a whole town, as is the case with Doolin today. The Accredited Service Excellence Programme is aimed at helping tourism businesses strengthen competitiveness and to help differentiate Ireland from its international competitors. Today’s Award substantially reinforces Doolin’s reputation as a destination where visitors are at the centre of everything a business does.”
Miriam Kennedy, Fáilte Ireland’s Head of the Wild Atlantic Way said: “the importance of tourism to local communities along the Wild Atlantic Way such as Doolin cannot be underestimated. In Doolin, the support for the training from the local business community has been overwhelming with 41 businesses getting fully behind the Programme with nearly 120 front-facing staff now trained to provide excellence in customer care.”
