SETU tourism and event management students engage with industry leaders at Fáilte Ireland event

Staff and students from SETU's Tourism and Event Management programme recently attended an insightful workshop at Whites Hotel, Wexford town.

The event was hosted by Fáilte Ireland and Visit Wexford. It brought together key stakeholders from Ireland’s tourism sector to discuss the future of Wexford as a premier destination.

L-R: Adam Kavanagh, SETU student; Amy Allen, Lecturer (SETU); Robert Millar, Co-chair of DEDP for Wexford and Area Manager, Talbot Collection; Orla Delaney, Irelands Ancient East); Edel Glowatz, Lecturer (SETU); Max Vasilenko; and Orlaith O'Hanlon, both SETU students. Photo credit: Brownes Photography.

The workshop opened with Orla Delaney, Officer with Ireland’s Ancient East, who presented the Destination and Experience Development Plan (DEDP) for County Wexford 2025–2030. The plan focuses on three strategic themes:

The Wexford Coastal Experience
Tourism Axis Towns
County Wexford – Rural and Outdoors

These initiatives aim to increase Wexford’s share of international visitors and position the county as a Tier 1 year-round tourism destination.

Robert Millar, Co-Chair of the DEDP, warmly welcomed SETU students, describing them as “the employees of the future.” He outlined Wexford’s ambition to grow its international tourism base from an estimated 2% over the next five years, urging industry partners to support the plan and collaborate on this growth strategy.

Sinead Murray, Industry and Trade Manager with Tourism Ireland, emphasized the importance of collaboration and encouraged businesses to leverage overseas opportunities facilitated by Tourism Ireland. Helen O’Leary of The Innovation Room highlighted the value of packaging and bundling offers with cafés, attractions, and activities to enhance visitor experiences.

Themes of collaboration, cross-selling, and partnership resonated throughout the presentations and the subsequent panel discussion featuring Colm Neville, Co-Chair of the DEDP, and Paul Halpenny of the Irish Heritage Trust.

SETU tourism students engage with industry leaders at a Fáilte Ireland.

SETU lecturers Amy Allen and Edel Glowatz praised the event as an invaluable learning opportunity. “It was a rare chance for students to hear directly from industry leaders about how Ireland is marketed overseas and how agencies like Fáilte Ireland, Tourism Ireland, and Visit Wexford operate,” said Amy Allen. Amy added that the insights gained will be incorporated into classroom learning in the coming weeks.

The workshop underscored Wexford’s commitment to becoming a leading tourism destination and highlighted the vital role of education-industry collaboration in shaping the future of Irish tourism.