Failte Ireland search for embodiment of warm Irish welcome

Fáilte Ireland is embarking on its annual worldwide search for the person who best represents the values of the traditional Irish welcome - the aim of the promotion is to ensure we never again lose our famous welcoming reputation.

The Irish Welcome Awards were first launched three years ago in response to the findings of the annual Visitor Attitude Survey which showed visitors found the traditional warm welcome was in serious decline.

Media reports and anecdotal evidence suggesting the "Céad Mile Fáilte" was being replaced by the "Frosty Fáilte"- or simply a mere tolerance of tourists - prompted the Irish Tourism Industry Confederation to set up a new committee to reverse the trend - moreover, in the past, the warmth of the welcome made Ireland stand out compared to most other holiday destinations.

The People and Place Committee have launched several initiatives including the Welcome Awards which are now attracting considerable interest from frontline workers in the industry.

The tourism sector rallied behind the scheme which involves the distribution of leaflets and nomination forms to more than 7,000 establishments in the hospitality sector in the Republic. Guests and visitors are invited to nominate a person they think best represents the warm Irish welcome of old. The scheme is proving to be a great success, according to Mr Mark Rowlette, of Fáilte Ireland.

"In its first year (2002), Fáilte Ireland received 1,200 nominations for the awards. In 2003, this had more than doubled, to 2,600. This year, the number is expected to be even higher, with already over 700 nominations received since the June launch.

"Since it has been introduced, the Visitor Attitude Survey has shown the welcome visitors experienced has come back to what it was previously," he says.

For those interested, the closing date for nominations is September 30th. The winner will be announced in November. The prize-winner gets an Ireland holiday valued at €2,000.

In addition, the nominator gets the same prize!

Meanwhile, Fáilte Ireland this month launched another new initiative to underline a warm welcome.

Staff chosen from Dublin, Kilkenny, Cork, Galway and Leitrim were given a half-day's training in customer care.