Ireland is playing host this week to one of the most significant gatherings in European hospitality, as delegates from across the continent arrive in Cork for the 92nd General Assembly of HOTREC, the umbrella body representing hotels, restaurants, bars and cafés throughout Europe.
The event is co-hosted by the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) and the Restaurants Association of Ireland (RAI), a fitting choice given Ireland’s upcoming EU Presidency in 2026. Representatives from 47 hospitality associations across more than 30 countries are in attendance, and the timing could hardly feel more urgent.
An Industry Under Pressure
The mood among delegates reflects a sector grappling with a confluence of pressures it has rarely faced simultaneously. Soaring energy costs, ongoing instability in the Middle East, and broader economic uncertainty are squeezing operators across the continent, and the conversations in Cork this week are centred on how best to respond.
For an industry that sustains over 10 million livelihoods across Europe, and roughly 270,000 jobs in Ireland alone, the stakes are considerable. IHF Chief Executive Paul Gallagher was direct in his assessment: geopolitical tensions, particularly the ongoing crisis involving Iran, are now feeding directly into higher fuel prices, compounding already tight margins for hospitality businesses. As one of the most energy-intensive sectors in the economy, hotels and restaurants have comparatively little insulation against these kinds of shocks.
Adrian Cummins, Chief Executive of the Restaurants Association of Ireland, described the assembly’s timing as particularly apt. Bringing European hospitality leaders together at a moment of genuine volatility, he noted, creates a real opportunity to move beyond national silos and develop shared strategies for the challenges ahead.
That spirit of collective problem-solving is at the heart of what HOTREC does, and with the pressures currently bearing down on the industry showing little sign of easing, the outcomes of this week’s discussions will matter well beyond the conference room.
