By Barry Coughlan (barrycoughlan7@gmail.com)
A little over a month into a leadership role in a major industry, Alice Mansergh moves with ease in a new but far from unfamiliar environment.
The Chief Executive of Tourism Ireland, she has worked in different areas over 20 years of strategic leadership, mostly outside of tourism, but she brings a level of experience to that industry through a five year sojourn as a valued board member of Fáilte Ireland.
In sitting down for a chat earlier this week in an iconic County Clare hotel, I was conscious of the fact she was giving her first interview since taking over this onerous but exciting position on September 18.
In a short assessment of where Irish tourism is coming from and where it should be headed, she displayed an immediate knowledge of the subject she will be focused on during the years ahead.
Up to recently she was Managing Director, Google Customer Solutions, UK & Ireland, and corporate reputation lead for Google’s EMEA HQ, based in Dublin.
Before and through that, she has specialized in leading international marketing teams, consumer brand engagement strategies and corporate responsibility.
She is known as a skilled communicator and partner to public and private enterprises, and, of course, a hugely important part of her resume reveals the wide experience she has through working with travel industry partners in serving on the board of Fáilte Ireland for the past five years.
Alice joined Google in 2004 and has held senior roles, including as Head of Operations for UK & Ireland; Head of B2B Customer Marketing, EMEA; Head of Chrome Marketing, Europe, Middle East and Africa; and Director of Consumer Marketing, UK.
She has led Google’s international marketing teams, promoting consumer brands and developing multi-award-winning creative campaigns for TV, outdoor and digital media in key markets, including the UK, France, Germany and the Middle East.
“Overseas visitors are lifting the whole recovery process and they remain a hugely important part of the tourism industry. At Tourism Ireland we are excited to keep building on that, year over year, for the future.”
Alice Mansergh CEO, Tourism Ireland
Her appointment, as CEO Designate, some months ago to succeed Niall Gibbons, was described by Christopher Brooke, Chairman of Tourism Ireland, thus: “Following a rigorous and competitive international recruitment campaign, we are pleased to select Alice as the new Chief Executive.
“Alice is a highly experienced, strategic leader with extensive international marketing experience and a strong understanding of digital trends. She will provide strategic leadership to the team at Tourism Ireland at an important time for our industry, which continues on the road to recovery.
“She will work with, and support, our tourism industry partners, at home and overseas, as we rebuild overseas tourism to the island of Ireland.
“Of course, she will also work closely with the Department for the Economy in Northern Ireland, the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media in Ireland, the North South Ministerial Council, as well as with Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Northern Ireland.”
Her first major introduction to the broader Irish tourism market was this week in the picturesque north Clare village of Ennistymon, Falls Hotel which hosted the annual conference of the Association of Visitors Experience and Attractions (AVEA).
There, in the foyer of a lovely understated hotel overlooking picturesque mini waterfalls in the village, she pointed to the honor she felt at being given the job of leading Irish tourism forward worldwide.
“I am passionate about tourism and for the past five years have been a board member of Fáilte Ireland, supporting tourism product development and industry investment.
“I understand the vital role tourism plays for the economy and for communities across the island of Ireland.”
Her immediate assessment of where Irish Tourism stands right now, given the fall off in visitor numbers throughout the pandemic, the effect of Ireland having to share a burden of hosting thousands of immigrants, mainly from war-torn Ukraine, is optimistic.
“It’s well publicized that we are now operating in a different environment post-Covid; for example, we also know that not all of the hotel beds that would have been available back a while are now accessible to the industry.
“But, if we leave aside all of that, there is a strong recovery going on; our flight access is over and above 2019 levels, our hotel occupancy is over and above 2019 levels and when we talk to tourism businesses on the ground, Fáilte Ireland run a tourism barometer, and 63 per cent of businesses say their overseas visitors are up this year compared to 2022.
“So, at the moment, overseas visitors are lifting the whole recovery process and they remain a hugely important part of the tourism industry. At Tourism Ireland we are excited to keep building on that, year over year, for the future.
“Yes, in some areas, it may be a slightly uneven recovery; we have peak seasons and peak regions where it is busier, and yet there are hidden gems that are wonderful for visitors that are yet to be recovered.
“So, with that message of how to get to and create all of the brilliant attractions that are to be found and seen it’s something we see as a challenge and we are excited about meeting that challenge.
“One big thing we are excited about presently is Halloween which is, amazingly, celebrated by more Americans than St Patrick’s Day, and yet it originated here in Ireland 2000 years ago.”
Alice Mansergh CEO, Tourism Ireland
“One big thing we are excited about presently is Halloween which is, amazingly, celebrated by more Americans than St Patrick’s Day, and yet it originated here in Ireland 2000 years ago. We have this strong Celtic mythology heritage and customers around Halloween.
“Imagine if we made a little bit more of that and gave people another iconic reason to travel slightly off-season in the home of Halloween? Already, we have a lot of associated festivals kicking off throughout the country and one could imagine it over the coming years developing into a major attraction, meaning that visitors to every part of the island of Ireland could get a taste of that.
“I suppose it is about thinking through platforms like that, giving people iconic reasons to come and visit in the different seasons and to different regions. It’s not necessarily about the big players, but the unique hidden gems that are already dotted throughout the country that have such a great local involvement ready to present to the visitor.”
In relation to future projects, Alice Mansergh is equally optimistic: “Before this conference started, we were at the Cliffs of Moher but also to Caherconnell Stone Fort which is a local family run farm with a 10th century fort on it; they do sheepdog demonstrations (with the sheep) and that’s a wonderful spot; it’s a real sustainable tourism model. That’s just an example but there are loads of examples where Ireland can shine in the area of sustainability, bringing people out into the open air; that all encourages a little bit more slow tourism which is good for everyone. That, I feel, is a trend for the future.”
Her parting shot was tellingly hopeful too. “Look, our vision is to grow the value of overseas tourism to the island of Ireland (north and south) and to do so by delighting visitors and strengthening all partnerships within the industry and with overseas markets, and sustain the environment.”
Tourism Ireland is the organization responsible for promoting the island of Ireland overseas as a leading holiday destination.
Tourism Ireland’s international website is www.ireland.com.