The Irish Hotels Federation will host Vision for the Future, the 2024 Annual Conference and Showtel Exhibition at the Slieve Russell Hotel, Ballyconnell, Co. Cavan from Sunday 25th February to Tuesday 27th February 2024.

Take the time to join us at this important business and social platform where you can keep up to date on new developments in our industry. Meet with industry colleagues at the many social events and networking opportunities throughout the conference and check out great supplier deals and opportunities at Showtel.

With the global economy beginning to slow, the Irish economy is now entering a period of consolidation where businesses have a much greater focus on costs and competitiveness.

While 2023 was a good trading year for many hotels, tourism performance was not consistent across the country. Demand from the USA was strong last year, but visitor numbers from mainland Europe was inconsistent between countries. Demand from Britain was less robust. International tourism is growing but it presents a highly competitive trading environment for Ireland’s tourism offering.

Our industry is also facing ongoing uncertainty around rising business costs, skills shortages, inflation, rising interest rates and changing consumer preferences. In an ever-changing landscape, the overriding priority must be to safeguard tourism livelihoods and secure the long term, sustainable development of our industry.

Topics this year will focus on people and sustainability, generative AI, innovation, hotel food product offerings and branding, leadership, adversity, motivation, vision, culture, fulfilment, guest experience, skills, cost of doing business, changing consumer preferences, industry outlook and much more. As we navigate innovation and change, we must also keep focussed on our enduring vision for economic, social and environmental sustainability and it is in this context that the theme of the 2024 IHF Conference is: Vision for the Future