Fáilte Ireland

Qualitative Research | Stakeholder engagement and analysis

Fáilte Ireland is the national tourism development authority, responsible for supporting the sustainable growth and competitiveness of Ireland’s tourism sector. As its suite of business capability-building programmes continued to evolve, the team wanted to establish a consistent, credible approach to measuring their impact - not only in terms of participant satisfaction, but in terms of real behavioural change and tangible business outcomes.

Genesis was appointed, in collaboration with First Western, to support a comprehensive impact evaluation across four key programmes: B2B Sales Ready, B2C Sales Ready, Cost Management Clinics and Value-Based Pricing. The objective was to add depth and context to an existing quantitative survey (conducted by Fáilte Ireland) and to explore the ‘why’ behind the results and provide a richer understanding of how the programmes influence decision-making, behaviour and performance at a business level.

The approach combined in-depth consultation and structured analysis including a programme of semi-structured interviews with programme participants. The focus of the interviews was to explore how learning translated into action - examining shifts in confidence, adoption of practical tools, changes in commercial behaviour and the extent to which these changes delivered measurable economic impact. The work was grounded in the Kirkpatrick model to ensure alignment with best practice in learning evaluation and establish a repeatable framework for future tracking and reporting.

The evaluation provided Fáilte Ireland with a robust, evidence-based understanding of programme impact, alongside clear recommendations to enhance future design and delivery. The work has helped establish a more consistent and credible foundation for impact measurement, supporting both internal decision-making and external reporting to key stakeholders.