An important hotels conference where delegates will hear about the opportunities and challenges facing Ireland's tourism sector is continuing in Cavan today.
The 86th annual Irish Hotels Federation Annual Conference 2024 'Vision for the Future- A Shared Vision' is being hosted at the Slieve Russell Hotel today.
More than 400 hotel and guesthouse owners and managers from across Ireland will gather at the famous four star hotel for the two conference which began yesterday.
Recent industry research carried out by Irish hotels federation shows a drop in levels of optimism across the sector, with only 47% of hoteliers reporting a positive outlook for trading over the next 12 months which contrasts with 74% who reported a positive outlook at the same time last year. IHF President Denyse Campbell said the industry is a vital part of the economy supporting some 270,000 livelihoods, 70% of which are outside of Dublin. Adding that more needs to be done to address Government-controlled costs, particularly for labour intensive industries such as tourism.
