Paul Kelly, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Fáilte Ireland, has announced his decision to step down from his role in August 2025, after serving over eight and a half years of his maximum ten-year contract. He is set to assume the position of CEO at the Royal Dublin Society (RDS) in September 2025. ​

Tenure at Fáilte Ireland

During his tenure at Fáilte Ireland, Kelly played a pivotal role in transforming Ireland’s tourism sector. Under his leadership, the organization focused on enhancing the economic, community, and environmental contributions of tourism to the country. He expressed pride in assisting the tourism industry to survive and recover from challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Kelly also emphasized the increased public and political appreciation for tourism, noting a shift from merely counting visitor numbers to recognizing the broader impact of tourism on the nation’s economy and communities.​

Acknowledgments and Team Collaboration

In his departure announcement, Kelly extended gratitude to current and former chairs of Fáilte Ireland—Ruth Andrews, Paul Carty, and Michael Cawley—as well as members of the Authority, ministers, departmental colleagues, Tourism Ireland, state agencies, local governments, industry partners, and their representative bodies. He highlighted Fáilte Ireland as a mission-driven, values-based organization, reflected in its recent achievement of being ranked the 6th Best Workplace in Ireland. Kelly praised the dedication of the Fáilte Ireland team in delivering on the organization’s mission and living its values. He expressed particular appreciation for his executive colleagues—Paul Keeley, Jenny DeSaulles, Orla Carroll, Niall Tracey, and Deborah Nolan—for their hard work, guidance, support, and friendship, with a special mention to Trish Murphy for her exceptional support.​

Contributions and Achievements

Throughout his leadership, Kelly emphasized the importance of tourism’s impact beyond visitor numbers, advocating for a holistic narrative that encompasses economic, community, and environmental contributions. This broader appreciation led to significant increases in industry development funding through Fáilte Ireland, substantial tourism capital investments by national and local government bodies, and notable grants such as €68 million by the EU Just Transition in the midlands and €25 million by the Shared Island initiative in the border regions. Additionally, a €10 million grant facilitated bringing the NFL to Dublin, and tourism’s integration into the new Department of Enterprise, Tourism, and Employment underscored its significance.​

Transition to the Royal Dublin Society (RDS)

Kelly’s upcoming role as CEO of the RDS presents a new opportunity to contribute to an organization with a prestigious history and significant future potential. The RDS is dedicated to inspiring, enabling, and empowering positive change in Ireland. Kelly expressed enthusiasm about contributing to this mission, acknowledging the organization’s rich legacy and its role in fostering innovation and development across various sectors in Ireland. ​

Future Outlook

Until his departure in August, Kelly will continue to work with the Fáilte Ireland team to implement the organization’s ambitious plans for 2025. He expressed confidence that, with ongoing investments and initiatives, Irish tourism is poised for continued success and sustainable development. Kelly’s transition to the RDS is anticipated to bring his strategic insight and leadership to the society, furthering its mission to drive positive change in Ireland.

The post Paul Kelly Steps Down as Fáilte Ireland CEO to Lead the position of CEO at the Royal Dublin Society appeared first on Travel And Tour World.