Over three quarters of Irish hoteliers surveyed (77%) plan to increase levels of investment in their business this year, according to research by the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) to coincide with its 87th Annual Conference which is taking place in Killarney.
Key areas of focus include increased investment in refurbishment projects, environmental sustainability, training and people development and the adoption of new technologies, such as artificial intelligence.
IHF President Michael Magner said that this investment will ensure the industry is well-positioned to deliver long-term, sustainable growth as Ireland’s largest indigenous industry supporting over 270,000 livelihoods.
61% of hotels indicated they plan to increase investment in sustainability across a wide range of initiatives in 2025 while a further 23% indicate they are actively in the process of exploring options to enhance the sustainability of the business.
Investing in people development within the sector remains a major focus with 85% of hoteliers saying they plan to increase levels of resources specifically targeting training and upskilling across their teams. The survey also showed the adoption of artificial intelligence is increasingly being explored by hotels as a way to enhance the guest experience with 43% of hoteliers saying they currently use AI technology in some form across their hotel operations.
