Photo: Conor McCabe photographer
A County Louth tourism business has been recognised at the Fáilte Ireland Employer Excellence Awards 2026, which were held at the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel in Dublin.
The Gateway Hotel received the award for Best Employer: Employee Development, recognising its commitment to staff training, engagement and workplace culture.
The awards celebrate tourism businesses that are leading the way in employee engagement and creating positive workplace environments through their participation in Fáilte Ireland’s Employer Excellence Programme.
Since its launch in 2022, the programme has supported more than 300 tourism businesses across Ireland and positively impacted over 30,000 employees. The initiative aims to strengthen employee engagement, improve staff retention and promote best practice in workplaces throughout the tourism sector.
This year marked the fourth annual Employer Excellence Awards ceremony, with 16 awards presented to businesses from across the country.
Speaking at the awards, Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Peter Burke TD said:
“The tourism sector is powered by its people, and the Employer Excellence Programme is playing a critical role in ensuring our people are supported, valued and given the opportunity to thrive. The progress we are seeing across the sector, from improved employee engagement to stronger workplace practices, is very encouraging. These awards recognise businesses that are leading the way, and I congratulate this year’s winners for their commitment to building a more sustainable and attractive tourism workforce and protecting and promoting our Céad Míle Fáilte.”
Caroline Bocquel, Chief Executive of Fáilte Ireland said:
“Tourism is, at its core, a people industry, and the quality of our visitor experience is directly shaped by the people who deliver it. The Employer Excellence Awards recognise those businesses that are placing their people at the centre of their success. The results we are seeing across the programme are clear evidence that a sustained focus on employee engagement, leadership and workplace culture is delivering real benefits, not only for employees, but for business performance and the wider tourism sector. It is particularly encouraging to see the strong re-engagement from businesses and the continued uplift in results across all levels of organisations.”
For more information about Fáilte Ireland’s Employer Excellence Programme visit: https://www.failteireland.ie/employerexcellence.aspx
