The Irish Tourism Industry Confederation annual conference in Croke Park last Wednesday kicked off with bright news; Aer Lingus CEO Lynne Embleton said it was ‘exiting to get things moving again’ post-pandemic.
Other speakers at this year’s event included an impressive group of industry leaders, from Professor Luke O’Neill, who spoke about the specifics of Covid-19 on the travel industry, Director General Willie Walsh from the International Air Transport Association and respected economist, David McWilliams.
Guests were shown an inspiring video that acknowledged the tone of the past few years but also looked to the future, highlighting the need for a sustainable tourism product.
Key Concerns for the industry continue to be labour shortages and an increase in the VAT rate to 13.5% this September. Professor Luke O‘ Neill said that while Covid-19 hasn’t gone away, science has given us the tools to live with it.
Eoghan O Meara Walsh (CEO ITIC) said that while the Ukrainian invasion was a humanitarian crisis primarily, it will also have wider global economic impacts which will affect tourism.
ITIC announced a strategic alliance with AIB with a heavy emphasis on sustainability. One recommendation is for businesses to use ‘carbon calculators’. The full report can be found here: https://www.itic.ie/
