Eight Killarney-based hospitality businesses have been recognised at the annual CIE Tours Awards of Excellence.

These awards , based on feedback from 30,000 CIE Tours visitors in 2024, celebrate top Irish hotels and tourist experience operators.
Moriarty’s Authentic Irish Gift Store at the Gap of Dunloe received the National Heritage Award. The store, which opened in 1964, specialises in traditional Irish goods.
In the hotel category, Great Southern Killarney, International Hotel Killarney, Killarney Avenue Hotel, Killarney Plaza Hotel, and Killarney Towers Hotel received Merit awards. Tangney Tours Jaunting Car and Killarney Horse & Carriage Tours also received Merit awards in the visitor experience category.
“Our honuorees are exemplary contributors to our 95.4% guest satisfaction rate, and they all deserve recognition for the excellent roles they play in welcoming visitors to Ireland and ensuring they have a memorable experience,” said CIE Tours Chairman Aidan Murphy.
“2024 was another landmark year for us, when we booked over 250,000 bed nights throughout Ireland. Our support for tourism destinations is bringing vital revenue to towns and villages across the country. We are delighted to honour these leaders in tourism in Kerry. Each of these businesses play a significant role in the Irish tourism industry while also making important contributions to their local communities in terms of jobs and wealth creation,” said Stephen Cotter, Managing Director, CIÉ Tours.

CIÉ Tours is the leading inbound tour operator for North American visitors to Ireland for over 90 years and in that time has brought over 3 million visitors from North America to Ireland.

The CIE Tours Awards of Excellence were first launched in 1990. This year’s awards are presented based on post-stay feedback received from nearly 30,000 customers surveyed throughout 2024.