Cyril McAree, Editor of H&R Times weighs in on some key developments across the sector.
Within a few months Budget 2026 will be announced. The hospitality sector is forwarding its submission wish-lists to the minister with the hope that part if not all of them are accommodated. We’ve spoken to industry leaders for an article this month about their hopes for Budget 2026. What are the big-ticket items?
A reduction in VAT to 9% is seen as a crucial to ensure the sector remains competitive. One might suppose excise duty costs will also be there, as Ireland is a high-cost country when it comes to alcohol tariffs. We are ranked the second highest in Europe on these duties, after Finland, but it’s not a priority in hospitality pre-Budget submissions.
A call for Food Tourism supports made it to the list, along with the request to increase support for Tourism Ireland and Failte Ireland so that they can continue with the good work they do. An increase in air access was also high on the list – and the need to sort the cap at Dublin Airport is high on the agenda.
Other items that rank as items of concern included energy and insurance costs, which the IHF raised with TDs and Senators during a series of recent meetings at the Dáil. Also on the agenda were targeted measures to support training for the sector.
One such area that is perhaps not talked about enough is incentive travel. Incentive travel is a multi billion euro market that Ireland is increasingly engaging with over the last few years. It was set up in 1973 and represents over 84 countries worldwide. I was fortunate to recently attend the SITE [Society for Incentive Travel Excellence] summer soirée at Lyrath Estate Hotel in Kilkenny: an incredible experience and event.
The value in incentive travel is incredible: a whopping €116 billion in value worldwide. Those attending the soirée, while in theory are competitors all work for the same reason: to generate revenue for the country. The more business they generate, the more business everyone can hopefully benefit from: a fascinating group of individuals and businesses. Take a bow Marie Lawlor and the Irish SITE Chapter for a wonderful day; and credit too to Lyrath Estate for hosting.
Another date for people’s diaries is the ITIC [Irish Tourism Industry Confederation] conference on October 1, 2025, in Lyrath Estate, Kilkenny. Titled Resilience in an Uncertain World, the conference will explore how tourism can prosper in challenging times.
Conference speakers include Peter Burke TD (Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment), Mark Little (tech entrepreneur), Alice Mansergh (Tourism Ireland CEO), Ruth Andrews (Fáilte Ireland Chair), Colin Hunt (AIB CEO), Dan Mulhall (former Ambassador to the US), Jim Power (economist), and Eoghan O’Mara Walsh (ITIC CEO). A must attend event!
Read more in the latest edition of H&R Times.
