HOTELIERS FOCUS ON SHAPING BRIGHTER FUTURES FOR PEOPLE IN THE SECTOR
IHF Conference − Midlands Park Hotel, Portlaoise
Wednesday 22nd June 2022: Focusing on leadership, wellness, emotional fitness, employee development, diversity and more, Irish hoteliers from across the country are gathering in Portlaoise today for an Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) Conference focusing on ‘Shaping Brighter Futures’ for people in the hotel sector.
The conference, which takes place at the Midlands Park Hotel in Portlaoise, will hear from a range of expert speakers, including a keynote address from Lord Mark Price who has over 40 years’ experience unlocking the power of people in organisations. A full programme including speakers for the conference is available HERE.
Denyse Campbell, President of the IHF, said that the heart of every successful hotel and guesthouse is its people, and supporting and developing them is key to long term success.
“As our sector continues to recover from two incredibly challenging years, one of the top priorities for hotels and guesthouses is developing and retaining our people as well as attracting the next generation of talent into our sector - whether they are joining after formal education, returning to work or seeking a career change.
“Right across the country hoteliers are investing in their teams, whether through bespoke education and training initiatives such as the IHF Skillnet programme, or through an increased focus on wellbeing, diversity and inclusion at work.”
Ms Campbell said that with great opportunities available in hotels and guesthouses across Ireland, the IHF is encouraging people of all ages to consider a career in the hotel sector.
“There are an enormous variety of career paths and training opportunities that are constantly evolving in our sector. This is something I have experienced first-hand since I began my career in hospitality with a summer job working in a hotel, through to today as a General Manager.
“Now is an ideal time to consider a career in tourism given the wide range of exciting options available for people at every stage of their working lives. We know there is an increasing number of people who are seeking greater flexibility in the number of hours they work, particularly those who may be returning to the workforce – and this is something hotels and guesthouses are ideally placed to accommodate.
“We are encouraging those with an interest in working in a vibrant team environment to find out more about the many opportunities and positions available. Few sectors provide such a wide range of options across a variety of skills levels, backgrounds and interests – offering plenty of opportunities to support professional growth while meeting and working with great people and developing skills.”
A national database of live opportunities in the tourism industry is available at tourismcareers.ie.
Tourism is Ireland’s largest indigenous industry, providing employment in every town and country in Ireland. Before the pandemic, over 270,000 livelihoods were supported by the tourism and hospitality sector, equating to 1 in 10 of all Irish jobs, with 70% of these jobs located outside Dublin. These jobs are crucial to communities, especially in many parts of regional Ireland where tourism is the only show in town.
-ENDS-
FOR INFORMATION:
Barry Dunning 083 167 4871; bdunning@kano.ie
Kathryn Moley 086 733 4438; kmoley@kano.ie
About the IHF
Founded in 1937, the Irish Hotels Federation is the national organisation of the hotel and guesthouse sector in Ireland. It represents almost 1,000 hotels and guesthouses nationwide, employing over 60,000 people and is a key stakeholder in the Irish tourism industry.
Tourism sector at a glance (Pre-Covid figures for 2019 unless otherwise stated)
- 10.9 million out of state visitors
- Tourism accounts for almost 4% of GNP
- Total tourism revenue of €9.2 billion in 2019
- Tourism industry created over 90,000 new jobs since 2011. Before the COVID-19 crisis it supported over 270,000 jobs, equivalent to 11% of total employment in Ireland with over 65,000 of these jobs in the hotel sector alone.
- €7.25 billion in foreign exchange earnings
- €1.96 billion in domestic tourism revenue in 2019
- Total of 64,383 hotel and guesthouse bedrooms in Ireland (2022)