Access for Success
Expanding your Market: Enhancing Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Experiences for All
What is Accessible and Inclusive Tourism
Accessible and inclusive tourism is increasingly recognised as both a fundamental aspect of responsible travel and a key driver of long-term sector resilience. In a competitive global tourism landscape, businesses that prioritise accessibility and inclusion are better positioned to attract a broader, more diverse visitor base and sustain their appeal across domestic and international markets
Everyone deserves the opportunity to explore, discover, and enjoy the world around them and Fáilte Ireland recognises the importance of Accessible and Inclusive Tourism to achieve this. Working together, we can make Ireland a leading, accessible and inclusive destination, so everyone, regardless of disability, age, or personal circumstances can enjoy the great tourism experiences we have to offer.
Did you know?
One of the most significant barriers for visitors with accessibility requirements is the lack of clear, reliable, and accessible information to determine whether a business or destination can adequately meet their needs
Introducing the Access for Success Initiative
As part of our ongoing commitment to enhancing accessible and inclusive travel experiences for all visitors, Fáilte Ireland is excited to launch the 2nd year of the Access for Success Initiative.
Designed to help tourism businesses become leaders in accessible and inclusive tourism, participating in this initiative, will not only help you in enhancing the experience for all visitors but you will also be guided to explore ways in which you can unlock new and exciting business opportunities.
Whatever market you focus on, there are a large number of people that need more information before they can confidently book with or visit you. As with any marketing strategy, the aim is to grab the attention and create interest and excitement in a way that makes people want to visit.
Why Access for Success Matters
Access for Success is designed to help you:
• Expand Your Market and Profitability: Opening your doors to a wide range of guests/visitors, including people with disabilities, older people and families with young children can increase your occupancy rates and revenue.
• Enhance Guest Visitor Satisfaction: Accessible facilities and services lead to happier guests/visitors. Positive experiences result in glowing reviews, repeat visits, and word-of-mouth recommendations, all of which are invaluable for your business’ reputation.
• Stay Ahead of Accessibility Regulations: Accessibility standards are becoming increasingly stringent worldwide. By proactively improving your accessibility, you ensure compliance with current and future regulations.
• Boost Your Brand Image and Reputation: Showcase your business’ dedication to social responsibility and inclusivity. This positive brand image can attract more visitors and partnerships with organisations that value diversity and inclusion.
Who Should Apply
This initiative is designed for hotels, visitor attractions and activity providers, operating in Ireland.
Eligibility Criteria:
• Visitor‑Facing Facility: The business must operate a physical, visitor-facing facility that can be audited (e.g., an attraction, venue, or accommodation).
• Staffing Capacity: The business must employ 10 or more staff members and have the capacity to designate one employee as the initiative lead.
• Visitor Attractions & Activity Providers: If the business is an attraction or activity provider, it must welcome 25,000 or more visitors annually.
• Hotels: If the business is a hotel, it must be registered under Fáilte Ireland’s National Quality Assurance Framework (NQAF) Statutory Accommodation Provider.
All participating businesses must appoint a dedicated Access and Inclusion Lead to oversee the successful implementation of this initiative for your business.
Cost to Participate
Recognising the vital role of the Irish tourism industry in enhancing Ireland as an accessible and inclusive destination, Fáilte Ireland is co-funding 70% of this initiative costs.
Cost per hotel: €600 or €900 incl. VAT, size dependent
Cost per Visitor Attraction or Activity Provider: €600 incl. VAT
Payment terms: Fees are payable in advance of the initiative start date.
Please be advised that this support is considered to be subject to State Aid rules and is given under the De Minimis Regulation. Eligibility is contingent upon successfully meeting all applicable De Minimis Regulation compliance requirements.
For further information see the Fáilte Ireland State Aid Handbook.
Places are limitedsign up early to avoid disappointment
How it works
The Access for Success Initiative, helps tourism businesses unlock their full potential by fostering an accessible and inclusive culture, leading to increased customer satisfaction, loyalty, and ultimately, greater business success.
This initiative will run from February to December 2026 and requires a commitment of approximately 20 hours, which includes the business conducting an access audit, participating in a blend of expert-led and self-paced training and developing the business’ unique access welcome guide.
Sign Up
Don’t delay, express your interest today by completing the registration form.
Assess
Gather all your building’s accessibility features through an online assessment tool, take photos and hit submit.
Discover
Participate in a range of online accessible and inclusive tourism workshops developed to help you navigate your journey to improving your business accessibility.
Inform
Develop your access welcome guide, tell the world and secure more visitors.
Sustain
Commit to continued improvements, striving for a service that is accessible for all.
What will my business receive:
• Comprehensive Accessibility Audit: Business to conduct a thorough online self-assessment of the business’ facilities and services to identify areas for improvement. An audit gives you clear insights to shape your improvement plan, strengthens funding applications, and leads to smarter, more cost-effective renovations that elevate your tourism offering.
• Customised Recommendations: Receive tailored solutions and actionable steps to enhance accessibility, from physical modifications to staff training.
• Bespoke Training: Accessible training empowers your staff with the confidence and skills to deliver a high-quality inclusive customer service experience. This leads to a more positive work environment and overall improved employee satisfaction.
• Marketing Support: Gain access to promotional materials and strategies to highlight your commitment to accessibility, attracting more visitors.
• Ongoing Support: Benefit from continuous guidance and resources to maintain and improve your accessibility standards.
“When I begin to plan a trip, I always would go to the website of the destination and browse the website, see what information is there. Do they make reference to accessibility features? For someone like myself who is blind. I would always encourage businesses to produce accessible content that can be in multiple formats.”
Patrick O’Donoghue, CEO, Gleneagle Group
“At the Gleneagle, inclusivity is at the heart of our guest experience. Conducting an accessibility audit gave us valuable insights into the needs of visitors with specific access requirements, helping us identify areas for improvement.
The detailed audit report provided clear, actionable recommendations, leading to enhancements in our facilities, staff training, and overall guest experience. This process strengthened our reputation, broadened our customer base, and reinforced our commitment to accessibility.
We highly recommend an accessibility audit to any business striving to create a truly inclusive environment.
The benefits have been transformative for both our guests and our company.”
Here’s what other businesses have to say...
David Fitzgerald, Managing Director, Fitzgeralds Woodlands Hotel House & Spa
“We were delighted to join the Access for Success Initiative program as we wanted to enhance our accessibility and inclusion at the hotel.
The training and audit systems to date have been very educational and have given us a great roadmap of opportunities to improve our offering for the future. We are implementing a plan to make the improvements and the fact that there’s long- and short-term targets to achieve, it’s been a great opportunity to improve the business for all.”
Jo McCarthy, Operations Manager, Castlecomer Discovery Park
“Our experience of taking part in the Outdoor Accessibility Audit was extremely positive. As the first adventure park to complete this type of audit, it was important to us to lead the way in promoting inclusion within the adventure industry in Ireland. The process was smooth and clearly structured, with a professional outline and a team who were patient, supportive, and always available to answer questions.
Operating within a woodland environment brings unique challenges, but the audit helped us better understand how we can make practical, meaningful improvements where possible. It highlighted gaps in our current offerings and gave us clear, achievable guidance to help us become more inclusive and welcoming to a wider range of visitors.”
