The Irish Hotels Federation has elected Michael Magner as its 40th President, succeeding Denyse Campbell.
The IHF is the national organisation of the hotel and guesthouse sector in Ireland, representing over 900 hotels and guesthouses nationwide.
A native of Killeedy, Co Limerick, Mr Magner is owner of Cork's Vienna Woods Hotel.
He studied Hotel Management and holds a master's degree in Business in HRM from the University of Limerick. He began his career in hospitality in Newcastle West in Limerick and went on to work at the Fitzgeralds Woodlands House Hotel in Adare.
Mr Magner has been an active member of the IHF since 2006 and has served as Chair of the Cork branch, a two-year term as National Vice President, and as a member of the National Council and Management Committee.
He said his focus while IHF President would be on advocating for members at the highest levels of government and with industry partners, to ensure the organisation continues to be a strong voice supporting the sector.
"Our industry has gone through remarkable changes in recent years, not least influenced by the impact of a global pandemic, soaring business costs, rapid consumer inflation, economic uncertainty, climate change and the impact of global geo-political crises," Mr Magner said today.
He said that some IHF members are facing greater challenges, depending on their location and business mix.
"More needs to be done by Government to support these businesses, which are core to our tourism proposition, delivering exceptional Irish hospitality," he stated.
He said that as a Cork hotelier, he was very aware of the impact tourism has right across our country, supporting over a quarter of a million livelihoods.
"65,000 people are employed directly in hotels and guesthouses - all making an enormous contribution to villages, towns and cities the length and breadth of the country. It's vitally important that we have the right conditions in place to live up to our full potential as Ireland’s leading indigenous industry," he added.
