Fáilte Ireland Opens Applications for Second Intake of F&B 360° Leadership Programme

Tuesday, October 27, 2026. 11:00am

Leadership Programme supports hospitality businesses to strengthen food and beverage performance, profitability and visitor experience

Fáilte Ireland has opened applications for the second intake of its F&B 360° programme, a strategic leadership development programme designed to help hotels, visitor attractions and eligible hospitality businesses with a significant tourism customer base build more profitable, resilient and sustainable food and beverage operations.

Following strong engagement from the sector, the second intake will support senior leaders to take a structured, data driven approach to improving food and beverage performance through expert mentoring, leadership development, practical business tools and sharing of industry best practice.

Food and beverage is a critical driver of both visitor satisfaction and business performance across Ireland’s tourism industry. However, rising costs, changing consumer expectations, labour pressures and evolving market trends continue to create significant challenges for operators.

F&B 360°

F&B 360° was developed by Fáilte Ireland in response to industry feedback and supports business owners, general managers and senior food and beverage leaders to identify opportunities for growth, improve commercial performance and future proof their operations.

Participating businesses work closely with dedicated Fáilte Ireland business advisors and industry experts to develop a tailored F&B roadmap or action plan, supported by masterclasses, practical resources, peer learning opportunities and access to wider Fáilte Ireland training and upskilling supports.

Fiona Knox, Head of Client Competitiveness and Capability at Fáilte Ireland, said:

“Food and beverage play a vital role in shaping the visitor experience while also contributing significantly to the commercial success of tourism businesses. The food and drink operating environment continues to present cost of business challenges, making it more important than ever for businesses to have the leadership capability, commercial insight and strategic focus needed to maximise performance.
“F&B 360° supports tourism businesses to step back from day-to-day operations and take a structured approach to strengthening profitability, developing their teams and creating memorable visitor experiences. Through expert guidance, practical tools and tailored support, participants can identify opportunities for improvement and turn them into measurable business results.”

Early feedback highlights strong improvements

More than 50 tourism businesses participated in the inaugural intake of the programme, with early feedback highlighting strong improvements in revenue growth and profitability, smarter procurement and better labour efficiency. Many participating businesses have refined their menus leading to both revenue and profit growth, other businesses have strengthened their labour management capabilities through enhanced workforce planning and others have adopted new technologies to improve operational efficiency and reduce costs.

Daniel Cross, General Manager, Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa Sligo, noted that:

“Although we were already operating with strong systems and processes in place, F&B 360° gave us the opportunity to step outside the day to day, bring in external expertise and look at our operation through a different lens. The programme has helped us make better use of our data, focus on areas such as menu engineering and identify opportunities for continuous improvement. What’s really encouraging is that we’re already seeing measurable results, including an increase in average spend and improvements in guest satisfaction.”

Jennifer Howley, General Manager, Ocean Sands Hotel & Spa, added:

“Like many independent hotels, it can be difficult to find the time to step back from the day-to-day operation. F&B 360° gave us the structure, tools and focus to work on the business rather than just in it. We’ve improved our performance, strengthened decision making across the team and are seeing positive results in our key food and beverage metrics. The programme has also helped us identify new opportunities for growth and future development.”

Applications for the second intake are now open

F&B 360° is open to eligible hotels, visitor attractions and tourism focused hospitality businesses seeking to strengthen leadership capability and drive sustainable food and beverage growth.

Applications for the second intake are now open. For more information and to apply, visit: https://www.failteireland.ie/en/fb-360