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THE latest Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) quarterly barometer released today shows that overall hotel and guesthouse owners in Kerry and across the country are optimistic for their businesses in 2017.

Nine out of ten (91%) state they recorded increased business in 2016 while over half (57%) of hotels and guesthouses grew their workforce during the year. Coming to the end of one of the strongest tourism years since the recession, the barometer also shows that nine out of ten (89%) have plans to reinvest in their properties in the New Year.

According to Terence Mulcahy, president of the Kerry Branch of the IHF, confidence among hoteliers is steadily improving as the recovery in tourism continues. This has been influenced by highly effective marketing campaigns such as The Wild Atlantic Way and Ireland’s Ancient East. Mr Mulcahy says that these unique marketing campaigns have strengthened Ireland’s brand and image as a holiday destination abroad and it is particularly positive that there is a pattern of sustained growth from other European countries beyond the UK.

“Irish tourism has seen a record-breaking year in 2016 and there is a lot to celebrate as the most recent CSO figures show that 8.9 million overseas visitors have visited Ireland in 2016, up 11% on 2015. This is an outstanding achievement and a result of the hard work being carried out by the entire tourism industry in partnership with the national tourism bodies," said Mr Mulcahy.

“It is heartening that our members here in Kerry and elsewhere are seeing growth on the ground from US, German and French visitors. There are good reasons to be optimistic about our key North America and European markets in the coming year as well. However, there are signs that growth is slowing out of the UK market. While it is too early to say what the effect of Brexit will be, the uncertainty and the fall in the value of Sterling will pose challenges. Many of the consequences are largely outside our control, so it is imperative that we mitigate the risks and potential damage where possible. This is a key task for us in the coming years as we work to deliver sustainable, long-term growth. In particular, continued Government support for tourism in the form of investment in marketing and product development will be critical to ensuring that tourism fulfils its true potential for further employment growth.

“We must be mindful too that our tourism marketing strategies encourage overseas tourists to travel beyond the key urban centres and traditional ‘hot spots’ so that we can extend tourism success across the county.”

The IHF’s barometer does reveal significant optimism despite Brexit concerns, with the vast majority (89%) planning to upgrade and reinvest in their businesses with two thirds (66%) stating that they will increase spend on marketing in 2017.

The IHF’s barometer shows business tourism is also an area of growth, supported by increased activity in the domestic economy. Of those hotels catering for corporate meetings and business events 46% stated in the IHF’s barometer that they witnessed an increase over the past 12 months.
 

 
Above: Terence Mulcahy, president, Kerry branch of the IHF. PICTURE: DON MACMONAGLE