The Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) and Fáilte Ireland jointly hosted a national conference in Dublin yesterday (20 October) to help hotels and guesthouses integrate sustainability into their operations and strengthen long-term competitiveness.
The Hotel Sustainability Conference – themed Climate Action: Driving Competitiveness – brought together more than 200 hoteliers at the Dublin Royal Convention Centre. Chaired by broadcaster Matt Cooper, the event explored global trends, consumer expectations, operational efficiency, cost reduction, decarbonisation and finance, illustrated through case studies from Irish businesses.
The conference forms part of the IHF’s ongoing commitment to sustainability, delivered in alignment with Fáilte Ireland’s Climate Action Programme, which supports the tourism sector in reducing emissions and costs.
Speakers included Craig Bennett of The Wildlife Trusts, Richard Burrett of Earth Capital, Declan Meally of the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, Colin Moran of the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland, Colette Shirley of Bank of Ireland, Andres Fellenberg of EarthCheck, and hoteliers Liam Moran, Dara Cruise, Tom Randles and Carmel Lonergan.
Fáilte Ireland’s Climate Action Programme, launched in February 2024, aims to help tourism businesses cut emissions, improve efficiency and build resilience. More than 300 tourism firms across Ireland are now taking part in the initiative.
Paul Gallagher, chief executive of the IHF, said: “87% of our members have indicated plans to invest in sustainability initiatives over the next year. Today we’re bringing together knowledge, intent and means, marking a pivotal moment in our sector’s journey towards a more sustainable future.”
Jenny De Saulles, director of sector development at Fáilte Ireland, said: “75% of global travellers plan to travel more sustainably in the next 12 months. This underlines that sustainability is no longer a future ambition – it’s a present-day business imperative.”
Michael Magner, president of the IHF, added: “As an industry we must rise to meet this challenge and act now by integrating sustainable practices across our operations to safeguard continued growth and success.”
