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Europe’s hospitality leaders are meeting in Cork this week as rising energy bills and geopolitical tensions reshape operating conditions across the sector. The 92nd General Assembly of HOTREC brings industry representatives together at a sensitive moment for hotels, restaurants, bars and cafés.
What the Cork gathering covers
The event, co-hosted by the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) and the Restaurants Association of Ireland (RAI), is timed ahead of Ireland’s 2026 EU Presidency. It convenes delegates representing 47 hospitality associations across the continent, drawing participants from more than 30 countries.
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Attendees will examine practical responses to supply shocks, higher energy prices and the wider economic pressures that are affecting margins and investment plans. Organisers describe the meeting as a forum to share policy responses and industry best practice.
Main concerns on the agenda
Delegates are focused on three linked issues: rising energy costs, instability in the Middle East and slowing growth that together threaten cash flow and staffing decisions. Hotels in particular are vulnerable because of their heavy energy use.
Paul Gallagher, chief executive of the IHF, warned of recent escalation. “The challenges facing our sector have escalated significantly over recent weeks,” he said. He added: “The ongoing Iranian crisis is now having a direct and material impact on the wider economy, with increased fuel costs resulting in additional pressure on already tight operating margins. As one of the most energy-intensive industries, the hotel sector and wider hospitality industry is particularly exposed.”
Scale of the economic stakes
Industry bodies stress the potential wider impact on employment and local economies. Across Europe the tourism and hospitality sector supports over 10 million livelihoods, including some 270,000 jobs in Ireland, according to the IHF.
Adrian Cummins, chief executive of the Restaurants Association of Ireland, described the timing of the meeting as crucial. “This week’s meeting of European hospitality leaders in Cork could not be more timely. It gives hospitality leaders a real opportunity to come together and discuss the key challenges currently facing businesses across Europe,” he said.
Delegates are expected to leave Cork with a clearer picture of immediate risks and a set of priorities to present to policymakers during a year that will see Ireland assume an EU leadership role.
