In 2018, Fáilte Ireland recognised that its digital ecosystem—fragmented across multiple outdated platforms—was limiting how people discovered and planned trips in Ireland. What began as a website upgrade evolved into a complete organisational transformation. Partnering with Forsman & Bodenfors and All human, Fáilte Ireland reimagined not just its digital tools, but its mindset, processes, and relationship with visitors.

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At the heart of this transformation was a cultural shift—from an organisation-centred model to a visitor-first philosophy. Every decision, from strategy to design, was reoriented around the needs, motivations, and emotions of the traveller. The ambition was bold: to create a seamless, inspiring, and data-informed digital ecosystem that would make exploring Ireland as effortless and rewarding as the experience itself.

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The result was the creation of two flagship platforms—DiscoverIreland.ie and VisitDublin.com—which replaced four legacy sites and became the cornerstones of Fáilte Ireland’s new digital identity. Both were built on the principles of universal design, accessibility, and personalisation, providing intuitive, mobile-first interfaces and content tailored to users’ interests and behaviour. This was not just a new way to plan a trip; it was a new way to experience Ireland digitally.

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Transformation extended beyond technology. Internally, the organisation adopted Agile project management and cross-functional collaboration, breaking silos and embedding a culture of adaptability and innovation. Eight workstreams spanning content, UX, analytics and social media worked in sync under a shared vision—to make Ireland’s digital landscape as connected and inspiring as the country itself.

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When Covid-19 disrupted tourism in 2020, this transformation mindset enabled Fáilte Ireland to pivot quickly. The Visitor Engagement Team, grounded by local expertise but unable to operate in person, were retrained to enrich the new tourism database—adding 15,000 tags across 5,900 listings. This innovative redeployment not only improved the visitor experience but permanently changed how the organisation collaborates and maintains quality. What began as crisis management became lasting business reform.

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Fáilte Ireland also embedded a performance mindset, using data and behavioural insights to guide decisions. Through its bespoke TRIP (Trigger / Reaction / Incentive / Prime) model and omnichannel strategy, the organisation unified social, web, and email platforms into one responsive ecosystem. Every touchpoint now works cohesively to inspire, inform and convert.

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The transformation’s impact is profound. DiscoverIreland.ie traffic rose by 8.4%, referrals by 362%, and VisitDublin.com achieved a 657% increase in its first year. Social engagement reached 13 million interactions in 2024, and email personalisation delivered a 44% open rate, surpassing targets. Beyond metrics, Fáilte Ireland’s teams are more empowered, its processes more agile, and its digital experience more human.

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This transformation redefined what a national tourism body can be—moving from promotion to participation, from information to inspiration. Fáilte Ireland now stands as a global example of how strategic collaboration, cultural change, and digital innovation can work together to deliver meaningful, measurable, and lasting transformation.