Gleneagle to host IHF’s conference
THE Irish Hotels Federation will host its 2019 Annual Conference at the Gleneagle Hotel and INEC in Killarney next month.
The prestigious event – which will see the country’s leading hoteliers gather to discuss the issues facing the sector including the recent VAT hikes and the potential impact of Brexit – will take place in Killarney on Monday and Tuesday, March 4 and 5.
Some 400 hotel and guesthouse owners and managers will attend the event which, the IHF said, will focus on looking beyond the challenges facing the industry, which supports an estimated 266,000 jobs in Ireland.
“While 2018 was a record year for tourism, there has been a significant fall in business sentiment due to the uncertainty over Brexit, increases in the cost of doing business, a slowdown in European growth and the increase in VAT,” said an IHF spokesperson.
“The industry has faced challenges in the past that have underlined the enduring requirement to maintain the quality of product, quality of service, competitiveness and a focus on exceeding customer expectations,” said the IHF.
The conference comes as IHF members across the country prepare for the impact of a potential ‘no deal’ Brexit, which the federation says has already contributed to a 52-per-cent drop in business from Britain and a 40-per-cent fall in visitors from Northern Ireland.
Tourism currently supports 15,700 jobs in Kerry and contributes some €533m to the local economy annually.
“Disruptive Brexit would have enormous economic repercussions which would be felt directly by tourism businesses here in Kerry given our heavy reliance on the UK market,” said Kerry IHF Chair Niamh O’Shea.