Hotel & Restaurant Times 201301 Dec/Jan

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DECEMBER ‘12/JANUARY ‘13

THE

BUSINESS

PUBLICATION

FOR

THE

HOTEL

AND

RESTAURANT

€3.65

INDUSTRY

THE YEAR AHEAD SHAUN QUINN INTERVIEWED

TOP OF THE WORLD

BOOKASSIST CROWNED AT WORLD TRAVEL AWARDS

MIXED TOURISM FORTUNES IRISH TOURIST INDUSTRY CONFEDERATION REPORT

MARVEL AT THE MARBLE NEW BAR AT THE WESTBURY HOTEL

www.hotelandrestauranttimes.ie

DIT A4 Ad-2:Layout 1

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driving Ireland’s Jonathan Sargeant is one of Ireland’s new breed of tourism road warriors – a graduate of DIT Cathal Brugha Street, he’s currently working for Tourism Ireland in Canada.

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For more information please contact: Mary Dineen, DIT School of Hospitality Management and Tourism, Cathal Brugha Street, Dublin 1.

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www.dit.ie/hospitality

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CONTENTS

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COVER: Shaun Quinn

CONTENTS NEWS SHAUN QUINN INTERVIEWED MORRISSON HOTEL FÁILTE IRELAND NEWS BOOKASSIST ITIC REPORT K CLUB ADRIAN CUMMINS INTERVIEWED DEIRDRE O’BRIEN, CARTON HOUSE RAI NEWS TOURISM ON TARGET NEW SPA AT THE SHELBOURNE AA IRELAND AWARDS INNOVATION BY BAGSITT TOURISM IRELAND NEWS THE MAGIC 5 PER CENT IHI AWARDS SILVERHILL DUCK NEW TOURISM TOWN AWARDS CATEX WINE NEW MARBLE BAR

5 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 25 29 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50

Hotel & Restaurant Times is circulated on subscription to Chief Executives, Directors and Proprietors of Hotels and Restaurants in Ireland along with Architects, Interior Designers and Suppliers to the Hotel and Restaurant Industry.

Managing Editor: Cyril McAree Contributors: Pavel Barter, Cynthia Bifolchi, Frank Corr, Dr. Des O’Mahony, Caroline Leddy, Conor Power, Conor McTernan Restaurants Association of Ireland, Tourism Ireland & Fáilte Ireland Design, Layout & Production: Andy Ryan @ DIA - 086 8050464 Printing: GPS All paper used in the production of this magazine comes from certifiably sustainable forestry.

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ALL CONTENTS OF THE MAGAZINE ARE COPYRIGHT OF HOTEL & RESTAURANT TIMES: H&R HOUSE, CARTON COURT, MAYNOOTH, CO. KILDARE. TEL/FAX: 01 628 5447.

E-MAIL: editorial@hotelandrestauranttimes.ie WEB: www.hotelandrestauranttimes.ie H&RT DECEMBER ‘12/JANUARY ‘13

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004 EDITORIAL

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What’s another year?

So 2012 is consigned to the past, and a lot of people will breathe a sigh of relief. It was in the main another tough year, but towards the end of the last quarter, some signals began to emerge that hopefully signify a change for the good. We have had the sale of some of the capital city’s leading lights, with the likes of the Morrison and Burlington changing hands, at prices that some questioned as being too low, whilst others felt they reflected a more realistic market value. Despite which camp you belong to, it is to be welcomed and is a sign of confidence in the sector.

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EDITORIAL

The same confidence could also be interpreted from the recent budget with the Minister ensuring just a minimal reduction in funding and a commitment to retaining the 9% vat rate. More encouraging is the reinvestment and refurbishment that is happening countrywide. For instance when you see properties like The Shelbourne, The Westbury and Hilton embarking on major refurbishment programmes it argues well for the future and is a further signal of confidence within the industry. Add to this the opening of a significant number of restaurants and you begin believe, maybe just maybe, we are on a path to real recovery. Indicators regarding forward bookings are encouraging, as are recent CSO figures indicating real growth in tourist numbers for the year just ended.

However, it is important that the value of the tourist spend improves as it still appears that revenue is only marginally ahead of 2010 figures. For real and continued growth, this has to increase.

Still, optimism seems to permeate throughout the industry and the recent launch of the GB “Path to Growth” is a further example of renewed confidence and optimism and a real sense of can do emerging. Shaun Quinn, in his address at the launch, indicated it to be a seminal moment within the industry and in his exclusive interview with this issue of the magazine restates that position – “The GB Path to Growth strategy is a seminal piece of work which I would strongly recommend to anyone interested in the British market. For the first time, I believe, we had key players in tourism around the table – the industry and the agencies – coming together to not only agree a shared vision for the British market but critically a clear practical work plan.”

Importantly we also need to ensure that the green shoots of growth are nurtured and protected and one area of concern would appear to be within the chef arena. It seems we are at a crisis with regard to the numbers of qualified chefs/cooks in various disciplines. There are only 150 chefs in training colleges annually despite the fact that the number of potential vacancies is more than double that amount. Unless this issue is tackled in a cohesive and comprehensive manner it doesn’t bode well for the future.

Given that we have approximately 430,000 unemployed surely something can be done here to ensure the right calibre of people are encouraged and trained for these positions. It’s time to stop procrastinating about job creation and do something tangible.

And maybe some of our captains of industry could take a lead from Bookassist, who recently were honoured as the World’s Leading Booking Engine Technology Provider at the 2012 World Travel Awards (www.worldtravelawards.com) despite tough opposition from some of the worlds leading online providers. Often referred to as “the Oscars of the travel industry”, the awards recognise winners worldwide as setting the benchmark to which all others aspire. No small feat and deserving of the accolades they have received, well done to all concerned.

Don’t forget Catex is happening in February 19th to 21st inclusive, so check out their website www.catexexhibition.com and register online.

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Cyril McAree Editor

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NEWS Something special up their Slieve

THE Slieve Donard Resort & Spa in Newcastle, Co Down, has been named Best Irish Hotel at the Travel Media Awards, which took place recently in the Westbury Hotel in Dublin. The awards acknowledge outstanding performance in the travel and tourism industry and consisted of 18 categories all voted for by the Irish media.

John Toner director of Hastings Hotels and general manager of the Slieve Donard Resort & Spa said he is delighted that the hotel has been recognised by media as the best in Ireland.

“We are thrilled to have received this prestigious award for Best Irish Hotel. What makes this award extra special is that it was voted for by the Irish travel media, who have no doubt stayed in the very best hotels throughout Ireland, so to be acknowledged by these journalists is fantastic,” said John. “The Slieve Donard Resort & Spa is the perfect place to enjoy a relaxing short break and we have excellent staff who are all dedicated in ensuring our guests have a memorable stay.

The hotel boasts a world-leading ESPA Spa and is an exquisite haven of escapism providing an oasis of tranquility.”

NEWS

Best pest control at Catex Orkin Pest Control will be in attendance at Catex 2013. Orkin Pest Control have achieved considerable growth in this sector following their participation at Catex 2010. They look forward to meeting with all of their current customers and future, potential clients at this year’s event.

Nothing can threaten your reputation quite like a pest infestation. Since 1901, Orkin has been helping businesses keep pests out of restaurants and hotels using the latest technologies and the best trained professionals in our industry, who develop and monitor your integrated pest management solution.

Come and visit us at stand D-10.

1890 230 240 Donal Butterly, Managing Director 087 2268567

Pictured are John Toner and Claire Edkins, Business Development Manager.

Ireland set to fly high in 2013

For whom the Bellingham tolls

Next summer will see a major increase in capacity on US-Irish air services, according to the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA). New and expanded transatlantic services at Dublin and Shannon airports will deliver almost 270,000 extra seats between Ireland and the United States next summer, which is a 20% increase on this year.

“This is a very significant expansion of air capacity between the US and Ireland, and represents a major vote of confidence in the Irish market,” according to DAA Strategy Director, Vincent Harrison. “Next year we will have new routes from American Airlines, United and US Airways and also additional capacity on existing services from Aer Lingus and US Airways.”

Greenshoots for Irish foodservice Over 150 Irish food suppliers and foodservice trade buyers gathered in Dublin for Bord Bia’s fourth annual Foodservice Seminar. Delegates heard that for the first time in three years players can plan with some sense of market stability as a sense of certainty returns to the market. Speaking at the event, Bord Bia’s Foodservice Specialist, Maureen Gahan said, “Despite a period of sharp decline, foodservice in Ireland offers major opportunities for suppliers offering innovative products and solutions to meet changing consumer needs. In certain channels such as ‘on the go’, casual dining and Quick Service Restaurants, there are clear green shoot emerging as consumers trade down to lower cost eating out options. These channels will drive the market revival.”

The iconic Bellingham Castle, just outside Dundalk , has been sold to the owners of Cabra Castle in recent weeks. The 21 bedroomed Castle, which was owned by the Keenan family, had been on the market for more than four years. It will now join Cabra Castle, Co. Cavan and Ballyseede Castle, Co. Kerry to complete a trio of 4 star, boutique-style Castle properties in Ireland, catering to the domestic leisure and banqueting markets, as well as to the American, European and worldwide tourism sectors.

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NEWS

A Michelin dish served in Sligo

DoubleTree by Hilton set to launch in Ireland The Morrison to Become Irish Debutant for one of Europe’s Fastest Growing Upscale Hotel Brands.

Hilton Worldwide has announced that it has signed a franchise agreement with Martinez Hotels & Resorts to bring its upscale DoubleTree by Hilton brand to Ireland.

The deal will see Dublin’s renowned Morrison Hotel reopen as The Morrison Dublin; a DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in early February, following an extensive €7m refurbishment, featuring a new interior design from Dublin based Nikki O’Donnell Architects (NODA).

Patrick Fitzgibbon, senior vice president, development, Europe & Africa, Hilton Worldwide, said, “DoubleTree by Hilton is one of the fastest growing upscale hotel brands in Europe and we are confident it will be a hit here in Ireland. We’ve been eager to secure the right opportunity and believe we’ve found it in The Morrison.

This deal is also indicative of a renewed buoyancy in the Irish hospitality market, visible both in the strong performance of our existing portfolio and the confidence of owners and developers to invest.”

John Greenleaf, global head, DoubleTree by Hilton, said, “The Morrison is a perfect hotel to bring under the DoubleTree by Hilton brand and we will be proud to showcase this hotel as part of our growing portfolio. We look forward to welcoming travellers to the vibrant, contemporary city of Dublin with our award-winning service culture and delicious, signature chocolate chip cookie at check-in.”

Hargadons Restaurant, managed by Joe Grogan and Miriam Harte, has retained its entry in Michelin Guide Pub Section 2013. “Good for morale,” said Joe Grogan.

Dublin to host major travel conference as part of Gathering Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport Leo Varadkar has welcomed the decision by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to host its World Passenger Symposium in Dublin in 2013, as part of the year of the Gathering Ireland.

The 2012 IATA Symposium in Abu Dhabi was attended by 500 people over five days.

The organisers decided to host their 2013 symposium in Ireland having considered an alternative proposal from Spain.

Minister Varadkar said: ‘This sends out a clear message that Ireland is a good place for international organisations to do business. Fáilte Ireland has been working hard to promote Ireland as a conference venue. I want to thank Fáilte, along with the Irish Aviation Leadership Group led by Brian Stapleton, for their work in helping to secure the conference’.

The conference will be held in the National Convention Centre Dublin next October.

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CIT students win The family of the late Douglas Vance, an iconic hotelier for so long in Cork City, kindly donate a valuable annual bursary to exemplary students in the Department of Tourism & Hospitality at the Cork Institute of Technology, to go towards their continued education.

This year the Douglas Vance Bursary was divided among two very deserving winners, Rebecca Daly from Ballincollig, who is a 2nd Year Hospitality Management student and Patricia Clogan from Mallow who is a 3rd Year Hospitality Management Student. Both Rebecca and Patricia were presented with their awards at the recent CIT Annual Awards Ceremony.

The Department of Tourism and Hospitality at CIT encompasses the areas of Culinary Arts, Tourism, Hospitality and Bar Management. It has over 750 students across these disciplines and is located in a modern purpose-built building on the Bishopstown Campus.

Big day out in Macroom Pictured at the recent wedding afternoon at the 4 Star Castle Hotel Macroom were (l-r): Caitriona Healy, Enchanted Flowers; Emma Wray & Sarah Power, showcasing dresses from Sharon Gregory Dress Design, Executive Head Chef Pat Ryan & Wedding Co-ordinator, Vicki Wray Castle Hotel. Among the suppliers on the day were: AM Jewellery, Milliner & Jewellery Designer, Upstyle Junkie, McMahon Studios Photographer & Videographer, Enchanted Flowers Florist, Sinead Dineen Invitation design, Grettas Cakes wedding cakes, and West Cork Wedding Cars.

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The Doyle Collection appoints new chief financial officer

The Doyle Collection has announced the appointment of Kieran Doohan as Chief Financial Officer. Kieran joins The Doyle Collection from Ballymore Group, where he held the position of Group Financial Controller & Head of Finance (Ireland). Previously, he held the position of Financial Controller (International Division) at Mercury Engineering, between 2003 and 2007.

Kieran began his career in KPMG in 1996 and held a number of management positions in their Dublin and Sydney offices between 1996 and 2002.

Export boom boosts job creation at Ulster Carpets Ulster Carpets has recently employed 25 additional staff to meet increased demand, particularly in its export markets.

• Turnover rose by 13% to £55 million • Operating profit before tax up by 72% to £5 Million • Substantial investment in new export and contract markets • Major product launches in retail markets Ulster Carpets has been successful due to its long-term development of key export and contract markets, particularly the U.S. and Middle East as well as a continuing focus on the highly successful retail market in the UK & ROI. Commenting upon the latest recruitment drive and financial figures, Nick Coburn, Managing Director said: “We owe this result to the outstanding commitment and dedication of our employees. Our sales staff have earned us a substantial increase in market share, and to support this our staff in Portadown, England and Denmark have worked incredibly hard to deliver for our customers. This performance is all the more remarkable given that we are competing in a global market place against mainly low cost labour production, but our enduring competitiveness keeps us ahead.”

Whilst Ulster Carpets re-invest profits for the long-term benefit of the company, 10% of the profits are distributed amongst all employees, so that they can share tangibly in the company’s progress and development.

The Chairman’s statement in the accounts also makes reference to the Company’s well-established tradition of helping the local community, and a proportion of annual profits are set aside to support those striving to make an impact on society.

Nick Coburn states: “We have always been extremely conscious of our responsibilities at a local level to the communities immediately around us; particularly the long held establishment of significant employment in Portadown, along with other benefits for the local economy. As a company we encourage and support our employees to be active with their charitable endeavours and over the years we have raised substantial amounts of money for many worthy causes.”

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Aer Lingus en route for Gathering The Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) has welcomed the announcement from Aer Lingus that it is to provide additional transatlantic services to Ireland from Boston, Chicago and Orlando for their 2013 summer schedule adding 112,000 transatlantic seats, including the recommencement of services to Shannon from New York and Boston in advance of St Patrick’s Day. Tim Fenn, Chief Executive, Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) said the additional services will generate increased opportunities to grow overseas visitor numbers from the US. He stated, “This is a major announcement for the run up to the Gathering next year and a welcome vote of confidence for tourism businesses given the strategic importance of North American visitors for tourism in Ireland.”

Top travel bloggers choose Dublin for 2013 conference TBEX, the biggest global meeting of Travel Bloggers, have chosen Ireland for their annual 2013 Conference. The decision was announced at the World Travel Market event in London.

Attendees to TBEX Europe 2013 will be representing the most influential travel writers and online content creators in the industry.

Their proven impact on destination choices is redefining the leisure travel business. The hosting of TBEX is an opportunity for Ireland to immediately create a major impression (via the delegates) to tens of millions of online followers. During these conferences, TBEX attendees traditionally focus their professional writing skills and extensive new media reach, naturally, and with purpose as they explore a city and share their experiences with the world.

Up to 450 travel bloggers are expected to attend the event.

Athlone Castle back in business Athlone Castle has reopened its doors to the public following a €2 million renovation to transform the castle into a state-of-the-art, multi-sensory visitor experience. The project was grant-aided through Fáilte Ireland’s Tourism Capital Investment Programme.

Fáilte Ireland’s Michael Brady, who attended the opening, said: “Athlone Castle will give the Lakelands area a competitive edge when it comes to attracting more domestic and overseas visitors. Fáilte Ireland’s €2.07 million investment is not only good for Athlone Castle but will have a positive impact for local businesses, which in turn will help stimulate job creation in the local economy.

First built in the 13th century as a timber fort, Athlone Castle evolved into a bold, defensive building. Its most significant architectural features, such as the keep, have now been harnessed to act as a dramatic backdrop to its diverse and fascinating story.

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A Suite Surprise Harvey’s Point Hotel in Donegal recently launched their Lakeshore Suites which feature a large bedroom, luxury bathroom and a spacious lounge with French windows leading to a balcony offering a panoramic view of Lough Eske and the Bluestack Mountains.

Says hotelier Deirdre McGlone: “We have converted 16 former Courtyard rooms into eight luxury suites fitted out to five star hotel standard. Each suite has its own balcony looking onto the lake and offering stunning vistas all year round year”.

Customer relations manager Noel Cunningham (pictured) adds: ‘We have been working flat out to have the new suites ready for the new season and are looking forward to welcome guests to what is now amongst the finest hotel accommodation in Ireland.’

Bar excellence The LVA (Licensed Vintners Association) presented their annual education awards at a special ceremony held in the DIT (Dublin Institute of Technology) Bar Management Training Bar, Cathal Brugha Street recently. These awards are presented to the successful candidates of the LVA Bar Supervision and LVA Bar Management courses which are run at the DIT Department of Bar Management. These courses are designed for those interested in a career in the licensed industry at management or operational levels or for those who may wish to formalize and up-date their knowledge in professional bartending and bar management.

Higgins Gathering momentum President Michael D Higgins visited Liverpool to meet members of the Irish community, at a special Tourism Ireland event on board the L.E. Eithne to highlight The Gathering Ireland 2013. The President was undertaking his first official Gathering engagement since becoming its Patron. The President urged the Irish community in Liverpool to come home next year and to encourage their extensive networks of family, friends and business colleagues to organise their own Gatherings in Ireland during 2013.

Swede Dreams Pictured during filming at Westport House, Co Mayo, for the popular Swedish reality TV programme Ensam Mamma Söker (meaning Single Moms) are Jenny Rönnelöw, the “single mom” starring in the reality TV show (centre), with her two suitors Fredrik Karlsson (left) and Kristian Engdahl (right), and children Clara, Ludde, Joanna and Jonathan; also pictured are film crew Patrick Hansson and Lasse Uydahl.

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Fine fellows

Clockwise from top left Margaret Byrnes, Mary Hall, Paul Gallagher, Clare MacLeod

Love Your Latte Costa Coffee was one of the first supporters of the National Dairy Council packaging mark when it was introduced in September 2009 as a guarantee to consumers in the Republic of Ireland that milk and cream has been both farmed and processed locally.

Costa Coffee is now celebrating three years of continuous use of milk and cream carrying the NDC guarantee.

Many of the handcrafted beverages at Costa Coffee are based on frothy fresh milk, fresh steamed milk or cream toppings - and - it’s official - we Irish love our Lattes and Cappuccinos.

Research from Costa Coffee shows that Irish consumers particularly enjoy the milkier beverages, with Latte coming top of the league as the most popular drink (26%), followed by Cappuccino (23%) and then Americano, Tea & Hot Chocolate.

Boyne Valley’s German pitch Members of the Boyne Valley tourism industry recently travelled to Germany to pitch directly to 12 of the largest tour operators in the market as part of the Failte Ireland Sales Connect programme. Fáilte Ireland has been working with local agency partners, and Tourism Ireland, to facilitate the promotion of the Boyne Valley in the German market along with securing real sales opportunities for 2013. Pictured (l-r): Martina O’Dwyer, Fáilte Ireland; Cora Dwyer, Bellinter House; Kevin Moriarty, Fáilte Ireland; Clare Tyffy, OPW; Kevin Stewart, Meath Co Council and Joan Martin, County Manager Louth.

To the Manor born

Adare Manor Hotel and Golf Resort has become the first ever Irish property to win a World Travel Award at global level, with the honour of ‘World’s Leading Boutique Golf Resort’ bestowed on the Limerick property at the World Travel Awards, held in New Delhi, India. This award bestows international recognition of the unrivalled golf course, superb accommodation and services offered at Adare Manor. This award is the culmination of a ground-breaking year at Adare Manor who were recently named Ireland’s Number One Parkland Course by Golf Digest Ireland.

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The Doyle Collection appoints new chief financial officer

The Doyle Collection has announced the appointment of Kieran Doohan as Chief Financial Officer. Kieran joins The Doyle Collection from Ballymore Group, where he held the position of Group Financial Controller & Head of Finance (Ireland). Previously, he held the position of Financial Controller (International Division) at Mercury Engineering, between 2003 and 2007.

Kieran began his career in KPMG in 1996 and held a number of management positions in their Dublin and Sydney offices between 1996 and 2002.

Export boom boosts job creation at Ulster Carpets Ulster Carpets has recently employed 25 additional staff to meet increased demand, particularly in its export markets.

• Turnover rose by 13% to £55 million • Operating profit before tax up by 72% to £5 Million • Substantial investment in new export and contract markets • Major product launches in retail markets Ulster Carpets has been successful due to its long-term development of key export and contract markets, particularly the U.S. and Middle East as well as a continuing focus on the highly successful retail market in the UK & ROI. Commenting upon the latest recruitment drive and financial figures, Nick Coburn, Managing Director said: “We owe this result to the outstanding commitment and dedication of our employees. Our sales staff have earned us a substantial increase in market share, and to support this our staff in Portadown, England and Denmark have worked incredibly hard to deliver for our customers. This performance is all the more remarkable given that we are competing in a global market place against mainly low cost labour production, but our enduring competitiveness keeps us ahead.”

Whilst Ulster Carpets re-invest profits for the long-term benefit of the company, 10% of the profits are distributed amongst all employees, so that they can share tangibly in the company’s progress and development.

The Chairman’s statement in the accounts also makes reference to the Company’s well-established tradition of helping the local community, and a proportion of annual profits are set aside to support those striving to make an impact on society.

Nick Coburn states: “We have always been extremely conscious of our responsibilities at a local level to the communities immediately around us; particularly the long held establishment of significant employment in Portadown, along with other benefits for the local economy. As a company we encourage and support our employees to be active with their charitable endeavours and over the years we have raised substantial amounts of money for many worthy causes.”

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INTERVIEW

Re-igniting Ireland’s tourism industry As tourism faces into 2013, Hotel and Restaurant Times caught up with Fáilte Ireland CEO, Shaun Quinn, to get his take on the current state of the tourism sector and to find out what the year ahead may for the tourism industry.

H&R: How do you see the tourism sector faring in 2013?

SQ: Well, as we start the year, it is clear that the trading environment remains challenging and it is likely to remain so for the future.

Although worldwide tourism is expected to recover, this may not help us as much as would like as a great deal of this forecast growth will actually be concentrated in markets across the southern hemisphere places where we do not as yet have a significant foothold in tourism and travel.

In Western Europe, where we draw 70% of our tourism business, conditions are generally less favourable. For Ireland to continue recovering from recent declines and return to longer-term tourism growth, we will need to eat our competitors’ lunches.

In other words, we will need an aggressive and competitive strategy to grow our market share - this will be critical to success.

H&R: Have we put too many eggs in the domestic basket?

SQ: I believe so. The relatively high dependence on the domestic market by a great many tourism businesses represents a significant strategic weakness. Here the tectonic plates of our sector will have to shift and, as a priority, we need to re-calibrate towards a greater reliance on overseas visitors.

H&R: And significant change in how we approach Britain also?

SQ: Absolutely, the continuing weakness of the British market is of equal concern. There is evidence to suggest that as British outbound tourism has declined in recent years, there has been a commensurate increase in domestic tourism within Britain.

Recent research conducted within the British market would indicate that Ireland is well placed to compete with domestic British destinations - places like Scotland, Devon and Cornwall.

However, knowing that and doing something about it are two separate things.

We need a radical transformation in terms of how Ireland is packaged and marketed to specific targeted segments within the overall British market. Working harder and targeting smarter will ensure at least a partial recovery in Ireland’s market share in Britain over the medium-term.

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H&R: This was the basis of the Tourism Recovery Taskforce’s recently published a strategy, GB Path to Growth?

SQ: Yes. The GB Path to Growth strategy is a seminal piece of work which I would strongly recommend to anyone interested in the British market. For the first time, I believe, we had key players in tourism around the table- the industry and the agencies-coming together to not only agree a shared vision for the British market but critically a clear practical work plan.

This strategy calls for a fundamental shift in how we tackle our nearest neighbour in the pursuit of growth in visitor numbers. Some of the insights coming out of the work are very valuable. For example, in the GB market, there is a perception that Ireland lacks iconic experiences that would motivate British travellers to visit, holidaymakers themselves lack a familiarity with the geography of the island and some of them also believe that we are ‘olde-worlde’ and unchanging, which therefore generates no urgency to visit Ireland.

Fundamentally, we are - according to the insights - fighting as an alternative ‘home holiday’ destination within Britain and this requires a significant change in mind-set as to how we position ourselves over there. The strategy also identifies those key market segments we need to target with tailored messaging and that too will be a challenge to our traditional broad-brush approach.

H&R: So are you acting on this strategy?

SQ: Look, to win back such a large market share we need new solutions, and this report, I feel, provides them to the industry and the agencies. For our part, Fáilte Ireland’s plans for 2013 will be heavily laced with the actions of this report. We have a senior working group in place to drive implementation so that we can support and facilitate the industry to provide the most compelling of tourist experiences and events for each of the target market segments outlined in the report.

As many of your readers will be aware, we have already published a series of online tools aimed at helping our industry clients carve out their very own path to growth in the British market. Titled the Sales Connect GB Toolkit, this aims to put the insights provided by GB Path to Growth into action with an extensive range of online tools and supports including a combination of on and off-line supports that will help businesses reflect and respond to the market insights within the strategy.

At the end of the day, there is work in the GB Path to Growth report for everyone if the goals of this report are to be realised everyone involved in tourism has a part to

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play in implementing this report if it is to be in any way effective. Judging from the enthusiasm expressed at the launch of the report, I believe that this will be the case for all involved parties.

H&R: What about our other overseas markets?

SQ: In terms of getting back to sustainable levels of tourism growth, we certainly have to place a much greater emphasis and investment in other core markets also. Of these, Continental Europe, most notably Germany and France, and North America will be most important - in each Ireland has an established positive reputation and their domestic economic conditions are more likely to be conducive to growth. That is not to say that new and developing markets won’t have a role to play longer-term. But for now, the greatest impact will most likely come from established markets for Irish tourism.

But, regardless of the market, Irish tourism will have to invest significantly in identifying those segments of the overall market which offer the best prospects to Ireland, understand precisely which tourism experiences to develop and work aggressively and efficiently within those channels of greatest potential to Ireland.

H&R: Finally, this year is the year of The Gathering, are you anxious?

SQ: Not at all! Because The Gathering is something we devised within the organisation, we are naturally very excited to see it grow and develop., From Day One, we recognised that it would be a significant challenge which would require more than just the efforts of one agency or the tourism sector to realise. I am delighted that communities across the country have responded and are actively participating - with thousands of local gatherings now planned.

Needless to say, The Gathering is the biggest initiative ever in tourism and, if successful, will help support the revitalisation of our sector - and all the jobs it sustains. Importantly, it will also provide us with a compelling vehicle to tap into the wider Irish diaspora and draw on their energy and resources to benefit this country and its economic recovery.

Away from the practical economic rationale, The Gathering has the potential to bring much needed positive international attention to Ireland, enabling Irish people at home and abroad to showcase all we, as a nation, have to offer. That will be good for tourism and hopefully also good for this country’s global image.

While the initiative has, rightfully, become a community driven initiative, it’s clear that tourism will be the most likely beneficiary in the long term. Aiming to bring in significantly more international visitors into Ireland this year, the tourism industry is being presented with a unique opportunity to sell Ireland on a much larger scale over the next 12 months and it will be important for all of us to capitalise on it.

H&R: How can they do that?

SQ: Well, I would very much like to see the tourism industry putting its best foot forward in 2013 and provide those who have come to ‘gather’ with an unparalleled visitor experience, which will encourage visitors to recommend Ireland as a premier destination and return again to Ireland.

Much of the activity planned during the year is really just a starting point. This calendar of events provides tourism businesses with a unique platform which they can use to attract their own international visitors to Ireland. With more on offer, there is certainly more to sell, but if we are to truly make the most of this opportunity it will be up to local businesses and ventures across Ireland to collaborate with these events to create packages and experiences which will attract visitors and create a unique opportunity.

All in all, The Gathering, I believe, has certainly ignited a spark within the tourism sector. There is a clear understanding that people coming to Ireland will not travel for one night and a collaborative spirit can be seen at local level with local communities and tourism businesses teaming together to create unforgettable experiences for those coming to Ireland.

For tourism businesses in particular, this is not a year to sit on the side-lines. We all have a role to play, particularly if we want to harness some long-term growth from this initiative. It’s up to all with a vested interest in our sector to get involved and play their part in re-igniting Ireland’s tourism industry.

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Morrisson’s mojo risin’ Well-known Dublin hotel, The Morrison, is undergoing a €7 million refurbishment at present with the investment representing a complete redesign and rejuvenation of the property, as well as the creation of a cutting-edge food and beverage offering.

The refurbishment is part of a franchise deal between operators Martinez Hotels and Resorts and new partners Hilton Worldwide. The deal will see The Morrison reopen as The Morrison Dublin, a Doubletree by Hilton Hotel, bringing the DoubleTree by Hilton brand to Ireland for the first time.

Recently appointed General Manager Patrick Joyce is overseeing the project, and is onsite daily with his team to monitor the progress of the refurbishment in preparation for an early February 2013 opening. To find out more The Hotel and Restaurant Times met with Patrick during this exciting time to talk about his beginnings in the hospitality industry, his fascinating career and his new role at The Morrison.

“ What’s great about this career is you can work anywhere, I secured a job before I left and did an opening for a spa hotel 3 hours from Bangkok.

Patrick has been involved in hospitality for twenty years, no doubt standing him in good stead for his new challenge. His career began when he studied a degree in hotel and catering management due to an initial interest in the restaurant business. He then went on to gain a placement mid-way through his studies in The Four Season Hotel in London and it’s here Patrick says he got ‘the bug’ for the hotel industry.

He says - “I was lucky enough to work with Jean Christophe Novelli in the Michelin-starred restaurant there. I worked front of house, did the ubiquitous bit of accounting and room service and I spent time in the storeroom, so I got a rounded experience of the business. I was there 15 months over 2 summers, a notoriously

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busy and very exciting time. It was a super company to work for with a great structure so when I finished my degree I went back to work for them.”

An opportunity then came up for Patrick to work for a company as a food purchasing assistant and after two years there he joined Firmdale Hotels in London as group food and beverage manager. The company owned several hotels in London including The Covent Garden Hotel and The Charlotte Street Hotel and the properties impressed upon Patrick the importance of a beautiful product.Patrick later moved to The Charlotte Street Hotel as Deputy GM - “The Charlotte Hotel was a beautiful bespoke property. It had a fantastic restaurant with open kitchen, a private screening room which was huge with the media and advertising industry and all the rooms were individually designed. It was a great experience.”

After a stint in a country house hotel in Surrey, Patrick decided to work abroad.

He relocated to Thailand with his wife where he had a whole new experience of the Asian hospitality industry in a top end four star resort.

“What’s great about this career is you can work anywhere”, says Patrick. “I secured a job before I left and did an opening for a spa hotel 3 hours from Bangkok.

It was a luxury villa resort with butler service and each villa had its own private swimming pool. On the flip side, we were also there when the Tsunami hit and we took in a lot of people from the areas that were affected.”

In 2007 Patrick moved on to Bangkok where he gained his first taste of transforming and rebranding an existing property. This hotel, however, had a twist, as Patrick explains.

“We worked on rebranding what is now Lebua at State Tower from a three star to a five star hotel. This took the best part of two years. We had an amazing food and beverage offering- stunning views, fine dining and a trendy whiskey and cigar bar called Distil that’s very well known. With Lebua we went with the angle that we were primarily a food and beverage offering with rooms; we made it a hotel renowned for its food and traded off this, making it the hook for the guests. It’s the other way around from the traditional view of a hotel. I really learned a lot.”

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After going home to Ireland for a holiday Patrick heard about a vacancy for a General Manager in a Kilkenny hotel, Lyrath Estate. He came back to a different Ireland, one that had progressed and expanded quickly and so his perception of the Irish hospitality industry was challenged on his return. Aged 32 he was appointed GM of the sprawling property and again he worked hard to steer the Hotel in the right direction and make it a success.

He says of the experience - “Ireland It’s not a live product yet had been expanding so quickly that I so it’s crucial to get out didn’t appreciate the new styles of hotels, these beautiful properties that there and meet people were being built. Lyrath was a real and keep them wake up for me, an eye opener. I involved. We’re out walked into a magnificent lobby, there meeting agents hugely modern in a historical building. and bookers and It was privately owned too so I loved the fact that after a discussion getting in front of them changes and improvements could me to show what we have made within the week. I had five and a half years of excitement there and met great people. I loved it.”

This wide-ranging experience took Patrick to where he is now, in his new role as GM of The Morrison. Patrick’s interest in the project stemmed from two beliefs: the first being the hotel was an iconic and highly regarded property and the second was the crucial importance ofreinvesting in and refreshing a product to attract customers and offer them a better experience.

“A huge amount of planning and work goes into a refurbishment”, he says of the project. It’ll be a rejuvenated product. It will have more natural light and be more modern. Rooms will have fully stocked minibars, 40 inch super-slim HD Samsung TVs, super king bed in each room as a minimum, air-conditioning and housekeeping from seven in the morning until ten at night. Then of course

connectivity is the big thing too. You have to have excellent wifi and we will offer access to 100 Mbps broadband as standard in each room.”

Patrick also acknowledges the hard work that goes into communicating a product to the market.

“It’s not a live product yet so it’s crucial to get out there and meet people and keep them involved. We’re out there meeting agents and bookers and getting in front of them to show what we have. The relationships are already there and from day to day we are talking to people. We have people who have been here before the hotel closed for refurbishment and there’s a level of trust there. There has to be. You ring the phone here and you will get an answer. That’s important” Patrick finishes on a positive note: “I know there have been tough times but I’m confident for the future. This year is a good time to be opening. Lots of hotels are refurbishing in part and that’s generating confidence, creating jobs and giving the hotel industry lots to talk about. These are good for the market and people are really seeing the value and need for reinvestment in our industry.”

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FÁILTE IRELAND

How to get active in Great Britain Fáilte Ireland has recently published a series of online tools aimed at helping tourism businesses carve out their very own path to growth in the Great British market - The Sales Connect, GB Toolkit.

This brand new toolkit is one of a series of new initiatives undertaken by the national tourism authority since the Tourism Recovery Taskforce published their report into the Great British market, ‘GB Path to Growth’.

The Sales Connect, GB Toolkit is packed

full of helpful aids that will help Ireland’s tourism industry revilalise the performance of its most important source market, Great Britain. It includes all the latest research findings of the GB Path to Growth, an online market r e a d i n e s s assessment tool to help you assess how ready your business is to take on the GB market, and a interactive workbook that will help any business develop a step by step plan to market their business to GB. Fáilte Ireland is also developing a series of webinars to complement the Sales Connect GB Toolkit which are available on Fáilte Ireland’s YouTube channel, FailteIrelandTV. The webinars cover a range of topics including a workbook tutorial and how to make your website “mobile ready”.

The Sales Connect GB toolkit is available now for anyone looking to enhance their GB consumer knowledge and develop their very own action plan.

Start growing your path to Britain today by logging onto www.failteireland.ie

Locals input into the Wild Atlantic Way Local businesses and communities along the Atlantic Seaboard turned out in droves to give their input into the preferred route developed for Ireland’s first long distance driving route, The Wild Atlantic Way, as Fáilte Ireland held a series of public consultation meetings all along the west coast.

Developed by Fáilte Ireland, the Wild Atlantic Way is set to be a big draw for visitors with the proposed route plotting out a coastal course from Donegal to West Cork.

Speaking about the turn out, and feedback, Paddy Matthews, Destination Development, Fáilte Ireland explained, “We are delighted to have had such an extensive and enthusiastic input into the development of the route. The Wild Atlantic Way will open up the whole of the west coast to visitors. It will be a way to entice visitors off the beaten track and help them to discover new areas of the west coast.

“Identifying the route is the second stage of this five stage plan. As we enter 2013 there is still a lot of work ahead of us as we get ready to develop a series of world class viewing points along the route, erect 14

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Pictured at a Fáilte Ireland open day, to discuss the new 'Wild Atlantic Way' Project,in the Trident Hotel, Kinsale, Co.Cork from left: Josephine O'Driscoll, Fáilte Ireland; Michael O'Neill, Fernhill House Hotel, Clonakilty: Cllr Christopher O'Sullivan, Clonakilty and Paul Murphy, Senior, Planning Officer Cork County Council.

directional signs, develop loops and itineraries in each of the destinations through which the route passes and devise a comprehensive marketing strategy and campaign.

The Wild Atlantic way is set to be ready for launch in 2014 and you can view the proposed route at www.failteireland.ie/wildatlanticway.

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From Bunratty to Bejing

Zhao Ruo Hong and Zhao Yan take in Dublin on the sightseeing bus, on a Jaunting Car in Killarney and at Bunratty Castle

Images of Ireland were set to grace the glossy pages of magazines in China after celebrity couple, Zhao Ruo Hong and Zhao Yan, chose Ireland for their honeymoon destination recently.

The Bride, Zhao Ruo Hong, a famous DJ with Shanghai Media Group and Marketing and Sales Vice President of China’s first wedding website ‘The Knot’,

and Groom, Zhao Yan, is a famous detective writer in China with 1.2 million followers in Sina Weibo visited Dublin, Kerry, Limerick and Clare and created quite a stir both at home and back in China.

Speaking about what this means for Ireland, Ciara Sugrue, Head of International Publicity at Fáilte Ireland commented: “Fáilte Ireland, together with Tourism Ireland, assisted the couple with their itinerary and we hope the coverage in many of China’s celebrity magazines will maximise Ireland’s image as a honeymoon destination showcasing some of the best that Ireland has to offer. It is encouraging to see this positive publicity in the Chinese market, which is an emerging market for Ireland, and we hope that this coverage will do much to encourage the Chinese market to consider Ireland for a holiday.”

Providing a journey of excellence

Liam Campbell, Fáilte Ireland (far right) is pictured with participants from one of the Cork workshops.

Up to 200 taxi drivers from Dublin, Galway, Limerick and Cork can now proudly display a certificate of customer excellence after completing a series of pilot workshops aimed at delivering service excellence to passengers.

The workshops, which were delivered by Fáilte Ireland with the support of the National Transport Authority, took place throughout November, and looked at how taxi

services influence the visitor experience and provided participants with best practice guidance on delivering a well-rounded customer experience to passengers.

Areas covered in the workshop included customer service, tourism knowledge and how to generate more business by gaining recommendations from customers.

The workshop also looked at how taxi journeys can improve the visitor experience and participants were updated about The Gathering Ireland, which is set to deliver more visitors to Ireland next year as it kicks off this New Year’s Eve. Speaking about this brand new series of workshops, Liam Campbell, Industry Services, Fáilte Ireland said, “We are delighted that the event proved to be so popular amongst the industry and believe that is will go a long way in further enhancing the overall journey experience of visitors to Ireland. The Gathering will be at the heart of tourism next year so delivering a stellar visitor experience, at all touch-points, will be crucial.”

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ONLINE MARKETING

Bookassist crowned World’s Leading Booking Engine Technology Provider at the World Travel Awards 2012

by Claire Sawier

World Travel Awards On December 12th, Bookassist was honoured as the World’s Leading Booking Engine Technology Provider at the 2012 World Travel Awards (www.worldtravelawards.com). The prestigious prize was presented Grand Finale event hosted at the magnificent Oberoi Hotel, Gurgaon, New Delhi, India. Often referred to as “the Oscars of the travel industry”, the awards recognise winners worldwide as setting the benchmark to which all others aspire. It was the third year in a row that Bookassist had been nominated for the award, and was among 11 nominees in the category.

Speaking at the ceremony in New Delhi, Bookassist Founder and CEO Dr Des O’Mahony said “We’re extremely honoured to have won, it was third time lucky for us.

Especially with such distinguished competition in the category such as industry giants like Sabre/SynXis and Amadeus. It’s a real stamp of approval from our own industry for what we do.”

“To have our client hotels and industry peers vote us into a world-leading position is testament to the hard work and dedication of the Bookassist staff, in all our offices. The award is recognition of the real difference we have made to our clients’ business.”

Quality, Not Quantity Nominations for World Travel Awards are not automatic. Submissions can be made by anyone in the industry, but reaching the nominated shortlist requires vetting and inspection by a group of industry experts.

Professionals working within travel and tourism then cast votes online. The voting works on a first-past-the-post system, and votes are submitted online at WTA’s website.

More than 5000 travel organisations are nominated each year and over three quarters of a million votes are cast.

Perhaps the most significant issue with Bookassist’s win is the fact that it proves that being a larger company does not mean you are a better company. Against the resources of some of the travel world’s largest companies, individual hotels and 16

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travel agents worldwide voted Bookassist’s software and service approach to be number one.

Asked why he thinks Bookassist won the award, O’Mahony explained: “I believe it’s because we deliver for our hotels. We consistently raise their direct business revenue online. We allow them capture more online business at a far lower cost, and therefore higher margin, than any of our competitors. We do this through expert consultancy and best-of-breed technology - and you need both.”

Constant Improvement To underline the commitment Bookassist has to client service, the award coincides this month with a major free upgrade to its award-winning booking engine software.

Bookassist continually compiles hotel feedback and online customer feedback on its system and has moved to address the suggestions offered and issues raised in this month’s major upgrade.

Bookassist also engages in rigorous A/B testing of its system upgrades. In A/B testing, an online customer visiting a hotel is randomly presented with one version (A) or another version (B) of the booking process and over time the statistics gathered on whether A or B is the more successful approach are fed into the ongoing design improvements of the system. This ensures the system is genuinely designed for what the customer wants, not just what Bookassist or the hotel thinks it should have.

Whether your hotel already uses the Bookassist system, or whether you are considering the options in the marketplace, here is just a snippet of the changes and new features to be seen in Bookassist’s latest system upgrade.

Visual redesign and modernisation Visually, the design of entire display for the booking pages has been significantly improved to give a fresh modern look. The design makes better use of fonts, colour, layout and style improvements to help make the display more appealing and hence help conversion. Bookassist can control the styling to a much higher degree so that the system blends seamlessly with the individual hotel website.

The new design adds lots of little animations and feedback to the customers’

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actions, for example smooth opening and closing of information sections etc., all of which give a more dynamic modern feel to the system but also help guide the customers’ eye to where it should be looking.

Usability improvements for the online customer There is a strong emphasis on focus: because booking options are usually quite complex these days, you want the customer to be able to focus on exactly what they want, so in this design when a user is interacting with a particular room, the system “lifts” it off the page with subtle shading so that it stands out more prominently, as the figure shows. The customer knows exactly what they are engaged with.

One of the key issues in a booking engine display is being able to quickly scan prices across multiple room types and packages. The new design improves this significantly by altering the color and size of price display per room type for much easier scanning/viewing. Prices are also displayed day-by-day on a calendar-like system so the customer can easily see where pricing might be better.

Speed is also greatly improved. Bookassist now stores your hotel’s booking engine images on Amazon cloud servers so that image files are automatically copied to local servers all over the world. The files are “locally” accessible in your customers’ country, giving much faster download times for your customer and improved display of photos.

Even Better Dynamic Discounts A strong market advantage of Bookassist’s world-leading technology is their dynamic discounts function. Dynamic discounts automatically calculate new totalstay pricing when certain conditions are met, for example stay three nights and get the third night for half price etc. This dynamic discount approach is a serious advantage for your online customer conversion, allowing your hotel to offer totalstay prices that can beat the static approach to best rates on OTAs. This latest Bookassist booking engine upgrade takes this winning concept even further. Using a calendar-like display, the system shows a price range (from €X - to €Y) on non-stay dates so that the customer is aware that there may be a lower rate achievable. The system also “sells” the discounts by displaying a clear “advertisement” listing the types of dynamic discount that are available if the customer changes their dates.

New Distribution Management Platform Bookassist continues to push innovation for its client hotels. In the first quarter of 2013, the company will launch an entirely new platform for hotels to help maximise their online revenue not only direct on their websites but across all third party

distribution channels. This distribution management system has been built from the ground up in-house by Bookassist and is an entirely different approach to the traditional “channel manager” software that hotels are used to.

According to O’Mahony, “Channel managers are typically agnostic - they don’t care where hotels sell because they don’t look at margin. That’s actually bad news for hotels because what hotels need to be doing is redistributing their inventory constantly in order to maximise their margin.

Our new system adjusts availability dynamically and intelligently and will favour the best margin for the hotelier, increasing revenue for the same sale. This new platform is the foundation for where Bookassist is going in the next few years, helping hotels both maximise revenue on direct sales on their websites and increase margin on indirect sales. It’s intelligent online management.”

The new system is expected to be launched at the ITB trade fair in Berlin in early March 2013.

Claire Sawier is Head of Marketing at Bookassist (bookassist.org), the technology and online strategy partner for hotels worldwide.

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TOURISM REPORT

Mixed tourism fortunes in 2012, The Gathering to provide 2013 boost Close to 6.5 million arrivals from overseas in 2012 brought mixed fortunes to tourism businesses. Dublin and several tourism hot spots had a good year, while other parts of the country saw fewer tourists. Continuing economic difficulties and depressed consumer confidence led to another difficult trading year for the industry.

The good news is that a modest recovery seems to be underway from many

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traditional and some new developing source markets beyond Britain. 2012 saw a 2% increase in arrivals from mainland Europe to almost 2.4 million visitors. A similar level of increase from North America saw close to 1 million arrivals, while visitors from emerging markets were up by 4% to approximately 370,000. However, recovery from Britain, Ireland’s largest source market, was again elusive with a 4% drop or close to 100,000 fewer visitors to an estimated total of 2.8 million arrivals.

The domestic market performed reasonably well given the fragile state of the economy and poor summer weather. The outcome was less frequent, shorter and lower spending trips by Irish residents.

The outlook is moving in a positive direction for 2013. The improving

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TOURISM REPORT

John Healy

competitiveness of the Irish visitor experiences, helped by a re-engineered cost base across the industry and a lower VAT rate, will continue to be key to recovery.

The Tourism Recovery Taskforce’s GB Path to Growth sets out a new approach to winning more visitors from the largest source market, Great Britain, and is being implemented by Tourism Ireland. The Gathering, a year-long initiative to attract more of the Diaspora to visit, has the potential to deliver a 5% overall growth in arrivals.

Tourism Ireland’s new website, However, recovery Ireland.com is being completely redeveloped, and will boost the from Britain, Ireland’s industry’s online presence around the largest source market, globe. It is designed to harness the was again elusive with phenomenal growth in social media, an ever more important marketing tool. a 4% drop or close to Getting to Ireland will be easier in 100,000 fewer visitors 2013 with a 20% increase on to an estimated total of transatlantic services, improved connectivity through major hub airports, 2.8 million arrivals. as well as increased lift on several direct routes into the country.

ITIC will continue to lobby and represent the views of the industry to policy makers and state agencies. The priorities for 2013 include the development of a tourism policy and strategy to provide a framework for investors and marketers to allow the industry to grow.

“After five years of difficulties, our industry urgently needs a road map to plot the way forward by focusing on key growth markets and delivering visitor experiences better fitted to the new economic environment and the changing needs of consumers,” says ITIC’s Chairman, John Healy. “The travel industry is undergoing fundamental Eamonn McKeon change and we need to ensure that Ireland is market ready by adapting to evolving consumer tastes and new communication and distribution channels to ensure that we win share in a world of increasing competition” says Mr. Healy. “The

“

time is now opportune”, he went on, “for Government together with the industry to re-assess national tourism policy within the context of Ireland’s economic recovery. A new strategic plan is urgently needed to provide a framework for investment, marketing and implementation against an agreed set of targets.”

Over the next 12 months ITIC will continue to work with the state agencies to further develop Ireland’s tourism potential and contribute to the country’s economic recovery. A two pronged strategic approach is being championed by ITIC. A new plan to attract more visitors to the capital, as defined in ITIC’s recent report Capitalising on Dublin’s Potential, is targeting to achieve over 6 million visitors to the capital region, creating 27,000 new jobs by 2020. To attract more visitors to the western seaboard the development of the Wild Atlantic Way - a new branded touring route - is well underway for launch in 2013.

This initiative, being implemented by Fáilte Ireland and local authorities, was one of several recommendations from ITIC’s New Directions for Tourism in the West to revitalise in the industry along the west coast. The ambitious plans for growth at Shannon Airport, if delivered, will also prove beneficial for tourism businesses in the west and south west.

The success of the Tourism Recovery Taskforce (TRT), instigated by ITIC, in improving collaboration between the state sector and tourism business community has been amply demonstrated over the past year with many tangible benefits. ITIC is committed to ensuring that a productive forum will continue to exist when the TRT remit expires at the end of 2013.

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RESORT HOTELS

K Club in Straffan something for everyone The Five AA Red Star K Club in Straffan is well known for its world famous golf courses, award winning spa and hotel and of course its wonderful cuisine. Recently it has embarked on marketing campaign showcasing all it has to offer to its discerning clientele. For a start dining at The K Club presents something of a culinary conundrum as there are so many great dining outlets to choose from visitors to The K Club are truly spoilt for choice.

Although The K Club has hosted many heads of state and stars of the sporting and entertainment world, the cuisine on offer varies from fine dining to bar food to casual fare. There is something here for everyone to choose from.

Named for the course designer, The Arnold Palmer Clubhouse overlooking the Palmer Ryder Cup Course is the home of The Legends Bar & Restaurant. Offering casual dining in an elegant atmosphere, menus in the Legends Bar are suitable for all tastes and palates. The Legends Restaurant exudes the elegance of crisp linen and silver service in a setting that is as comfortably casual as it is the ideal place for those more special occasions.

Under the direction of Naas man, Executive Chef Finbar Higgins, the same high standard of food and wine found everywhere on the resort is also standard at The Legends Bar & Restaurant.

“You don’t need to play golf to dine in Legends Bar or Legends Restaurant,” said Finbar Higgins. “The Legends Bar is very casual serving everything from our famous K Club Sandwich to tasty chicken Caesar salads to home made burgers or pasta dishes. Legends Restaurant itself is elegant and sophisticated without being fussy. The Legends Restaurant menu reflects the very best of Irish produce and the dishes are distinctly European.”

The decor of Legend’s is light, bright and airy, it’s filled with natural light reflecting pristine crisp linen and silver table service.

The restaurant enjoys fantastic views across the Palmer Ryder Cup Course and is a beautiful place to sit and enjoy the delectable food whilst taking in panoramic views of the course. A three course meal in Legends costs €49 and the restaurant is open from Tuesday - Sunday.

In recent years, the wine library, an important facet at The K Club has undergone major changes under the influence of resident Sommelier, Lisa O’Doherty with well priced vintages from around the world.

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“There is a very important wine heritage associated with The K Club, and indeed Straffan house, as the original owners of the property were the Barton family of the famous Barton & Guestier wines,” said Finbar. “The main house itself was built by the Bartons in 1832 in the style of a French chateau and the Barton family influence is still very much alive today and is reflected not just in the wine list but also in the original architectural features and extensive art collection which can been seen right throughout the hotel.”

The wonderfully atmospheric and impressive wine cellar which is deep within the recesses of the original house is an Aladdin’s cave of hidden wine treasures such as the 1928 Beychevelle, and the largest collection of Chateau Petrus in Ireland.

Wine cellar tours are run regularly and every Saturday evening during the summer months the sommelier leads eager wine enthusiasts through the cellars to see for themselves the fascinating array of vintages on offer.

Also at The K Club, the River Room Restaurant in the hotel provides vibrant, yet relaxed dining in a informal atmosphere overlooking extensive landscaped gardens and the River Liffey. The menu is traditional in style with many ingredients grown on the resort and within the local area under the careful management of Chef Finbar Higgins. The River Room and the restaurant are open seven days a week with a menu that is extremely well priced and affordable.

“All of the food on the resort is important,” said Finbar. “Many of the compotes and jams have been sourced from right on the resort and preserved by our team.

We are very particular about the source of our foods and truly believe in using local, in season produce where possible. We have even introduced the resort’s own indigenous rhubarb, ‘Straffan Red’ to one of our duck dishes and it brings a really nice balance to the richness of the duck meat.”

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The K Club also offers a ‘Catch and Cook Package’, which sees guests being offered an opportunity to catch their own fish right out of the River Liffey with the resort’s own ghillies and have it turned into their very own ‘catch of the day’ by the kitchen team.

The hotel is also the home of the elegant Chinese Drawing Room, just the place to enjoy The K Club’s famous Afternoon Tea or light lunch at prices that won’t break the bank. With beautiful hand painted wall paper and stunning Waterford Crystal chandeliers it is a beautiful room to sink into a deep sofa and enjoy ‘time for tea.’

Meanwhile the Yeat’s Room next door also has sumptuous decor and is home to the largest collection of Jack B. Yeats paintings held privately in the world.

Named for the champion thoroughbred racehorse trained by Dermot Weld and owned by Dr. Michael Smurfit, The Vintage Crop Bar serves light snacks as well as almost any mixed drink imaginable alongside a huge collection of whiskies, beers, ales and stout.

Opened by His Serene Highness, Prince Albert of Monaco with Dr. Michael Smurfit and restaurant owner Ashique Hossain, Kwam Suk Royal Thai and Asian Restaurant on the first floor of The Palmer Smurfit Clubhouse offers Thai and Asian cuisine blended with the finest Irish produce. In a palette of opulent shades of red and gold, the restaurant overlooking the dramatic landscape of the Palmer Smurfit Course exudes a comfortable and relaxed atmosphere.

The reputation for world class service and fantastic food has made The K Club a popular choice with wedding couples. “Food for a wedding is of vital importance”, said Finbar, “we are acutely aware that a wedding day is the most important day of someone’s life and we know that the secret to a great wedding is amazing food. So if we are cooking for 2 people or 200 the standard of food and service is consistently high. We also offer great value and our wedding packages are extremely competitive.” Recently, K Club hosted a glamorous wedding showcase which commenced with a Prosecco and canapés reception followed by musical

entertainment throughout the day by wedding bands Entourage, Pink Champagne, DH Entertainment and the show stopping 16-piece, Route 66 Big Band. Guests to the complimentary afternoon were also treated to fashions shows with top models from the Andrea Roche Agency, modelling spectacular gowns by international Bridal Designer, Patrick Casey and dresses from Truly Bridal Wedding Boutique. Make up artist to the stars, Ken Boylan was also on hand giving a master class in bridal make up and gave some of his top tips on bridal beauty including how to make your make up last and choosing a look that suits you.

The event give guests an opportunity for guests to meet with The K Club’s own wedding team and to get full tours around the hotel and the resort in order to see all The K Club has to offer for your dream wedding.

Exhibitors on the day included photographers, videographers, wedding car suppliers, florists, wedding decorators, stationary suppliers and wedding favour specialists to mention but a few.

For further information call (01) 6017200 or log on to www.kclub.ie H&RT DECEMBER ‘12/JANUARY ‘13

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INTERVIEW

Ambitious goals Adrian Cummins CEO of the RAI reflects on 4 years at the helm

The Restaurants Association of Ireland was formed in 1970 out of requirement for a body that could represent the service industry at Government level and to create a strong lobby on important issues such as taxation & liquor licensing. Adrian Cummins has been the CEO there since 2008. With the help of his team he’s doing everything in his power to assist the industry in tackling the issues that it faces in 2013.

When Adrian first took up his position the association was in a very difficult situation.

An alarming amount of members were either going out of business or cancelling their memberships due to the recession.

Today things are starting to turn back around. With over 700 restaurants The RAI now boasts its largest member count since its foundation. Cummins and his team have ambitious plans to grow the organization to become over 1000 members strong by the end of 2013. “We’re very much on the growth curve at the moment, in a time of recession you need to deliver more to your members, you need to be relevant and you need to be outspoken on the issues that affect your industry base.” They’ve adopted an approach that they’re not going to be behind closed doors: “We’re going to 22

H&RT DECEMBER ‘12/JANUARY ‘13

be out there talking about the issues relevant to our association with the different departments and state bodies that affects our industry. We’ve got a job to do to represent, assist and inform our members and that’s what we go about doing. I have a hard working team, and our current president Brian Fallon has a fantastic knowledge of the industry. Before him went Paul Cadden and Gina Murphy. The council members on the board steer the policy making of the organisation, without them we wouldn’t be where we are today.”

VAT The RAI aims to have a clear agenda focused on the issues that they want to get over the line in the next 12 months. The first issue is the retention of VAT at 9%. “It was proved in department of Finance’s report in October that the VAT has created 10’000 jobs in the service industry, which has a high labour rate,” says Adrian. “We now want to enter a campaign to extend the VAT rate until 2015, our European colleagues are saying that Ireland has proven that if you reduce the VAT rate you will create jobs and also give a stimulus to your tourism industry.” The reduced rate is to stay in place until December 2013 when it will be reviewed.

Wine tax “I think the government were in a very difficult situation this year, they had to make cuts or tax increases in some shape or form.” They made a coup with the VAT but lost the battle on excise duty with the savage increase of €1 on a bottle of wine.

Mr. Cummins has strongly voiced that the government have unfairly targeted the restaurant industry by doing so and believes targeting off-sales would be a more practical option. “The government will bring in €120m by their excise measures, they could have doubled that if they targeted the below cost selling of alcohol at off-traders. We have an alcohol problem in our country, there’s no point in targeting the on-traders it’s the off’-traders that’s part of the problem.”

Chef Programme The shortage of chefs throughout the country has reached crisis point. Restaurants are trying to hire kitchen staff across the country but can’t because there isn’t

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INTERVIEW

enough chefs available. There are only 150 chefs in training colleges annually despite the fact that the number of potential vacancies is more than double that amount. Last April the RAI proposed to create 220 job spaces with a professional cooking programme that they intended to roll out nationwide. “We were advised to apply to FÁS under the labour market activation fund,” says Cummins. “We did that and did everything right, our application was better on paper than other programmes that did get funding. We were going to guarantee 146 jobs afterwards, and we could train chefs at 64% cheaper than the way that they are being trained at the moment. Our target market isn’t the leaving-cert students going through the CAO system, it’s to deal with the 430’000 unemployed in this country and get them a job.”

“It took us over 7 months of preparation to put the plan together and we got zero assistance from the state. The system is a mess.” You need to have a root and branch/bottom-up approach on the whole area of job creation. “What we now see are mickey-mouse schemes coming out to create a small number of jobs here and there, we need to have a focused approach by bringing in the employers and asking them what they need, and then put the measures in place to suit the employers. No agency that’s involved in job creation is doing that. It’s complete nonsense.”

The association still hasn’t received a detailed report from the government or FÁS explaining why the scheme wasn’t accepted. “If you say something publically about a state agency in this country, they’ll close the door on you. We’re going to keep lobbying for this programme it’s the first item on our agenda. We can create jobs in this country if the Government is willing to work with us.”

If the state agencies fail in supporting the training programme, the association has plans to take their plans elsewhere. “I’ve been talking to my colleagues in Europe about creating a European wide chef training programme and hopefully getting EU funding to do so,” says Cummins. “It’s my own idea and it’s basically bypassing the nonsense here in Ireland. Politicians need to be informed how tough it is to run a business in the current climate. It’s all about putting the pressure on in order to get things done, we’ll all work together under one banner to try and get this done.”

Another issue that Cummins believes hasn’t been properly addressed is dealing with Local Authorities. “Local Authorities are a scourge of business, they’re completely arrogant by not reducing their rates at a time of recession. They dream up ideas on daily basis, of how they’re going to inflict more charges on businesses.

For example there’s what we call the sunshine tax. [a tax on having tables and chairs outside a premise]. Everybody knows that it rains most of the time in Ireland but authorities charge a full year licence for doing so and they expect people to pay a couple of thousand Euros. Meanwhile we’re trying to encourage a café culture in this country like on the continent, there’s a serious conflict of interests. Local authorities don’t understand business, many of the people working for them have never run a business in their lives,” he remarks, “they don’t understand the pressures of dealing with banks who aren’t giving any credit at the moment. All business people are entrepreneurs, their risk-takers who have mortgaged their property and put their life savings into their business - Local Authorities are going after them trying to bleed them dry.”

Market Position There are currently 700 members in the association, that’s around 50% of all restaurants in the country. “We want to expand to recruit gastro pubs and cafés as

members, as well as pushing the 50% Restaurant membership up to 75%. In order to fulfil these ambitious goals the association has a well thought out plan. We have a very active membership sales campaign and we are rolling out additional membership benefits in the New Year. We have the lowest credit card rates in Ireland for restaurant businesses. We host the Irish Restaurant Awards which are the largest hospitality awards ceremony in the country.

We’re currently working with e-commerce platforms to see how we can help our members develop their businesses. We also have a number of new measures that we’re hoping to roll out in the area of HR provision as well.

“We’re going into the Gathering next year which we’re 100% behind. The Gathering is a citizen led movement, with local organisations coming together to create events over a 12 month period. “We want to be a part of it and we’re going to endorse it. As the year progresses we’ll roll out a series of campaigns to try and help local groups as financially feasibly as we can.”

It’s a very ambitious with a projected extra 350’000 tourists coming into the country.

“There’s a lot of money being spent on this, so we need to see a return in investment at the end of next year. It’s the taxpayer’s money that’s going into this so we hope that it will achieve its targets.”

Cummins stresses that we need to think outside the box in the whole area of marketing our country. “We still haven’t recognized the value of the restaurant industry for tourism in Ireland. In every statement we’re going to make next year we’ll be underlining the value of the restaurant industry for tourism in this country. There’s one thing you have to do when visiting somewhere, you have to eat.”

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AWARDS

Doing Dee business Deirdre O’Brien of Carton House wins the coveted title of Management Professional of the Year at the IMAGE Businesswomen of The Year Awards 2012 Deirdre O’Brien, Director of Sales and Marketing at Carton House, one of Ireland’s leading luxury resorts, has been awarded the title of Management Professional Of The Year 2012 at the prestigious IMAGE Businesswomen of The Year Awards. The glamorous gala event was held in the exclusive Hibernian Club on St Stephen’s Green, Dublin and saw invited guest’s come together for an evening in celebration of Ireland’s top business women.

Deirdre O’Brien was one of three businesswomen shortlisted in the highly contested Management Professional of the Year category. As the Director of Sales and Marketing for Carton House, Deirdre oversees all marketing elements for Carton House, Browns Bar and Café by Carton House in Brown Thomas Dublin and the Carton House food produce range. A deserving winner, Deirdre joined Carton House in 2005 and quickly helped to establish it as one of the most recognised and successful luxury resorts in Ireland while cementing its position as one of the leading destinations for conferences, leisure and sport through innovative and engaging marketing campaigns.

Deirdre was an instrumental part of the management team that secured the Carton House brand takeover of Browns Bar and Café in the iconic department store Brown Thomas Dublin. She has also been a vital part of the team that secured the Irish Open for Carton House in 2013. As one of Ireland’s biggest sporting events, the Irish Open is set to create a huge economic impact for Ireland.

The judging panel, chaired by IMAGE publisher Ann Reihill, also included IMAGE editor Melanie Morris amongst a selection of other leading faces from the world of Irish business.

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The special gala event, which was held to recognise the inspirational businesswomen of Ireland, saw accolades awarded to deserving recipients in eight categories.

As an IMAGE award winner, Deirdre will join an impressive roll call of Ireland’s leading businesswomen, who regardless of economic climate or the challenges they face continue to shine in the Irish business world.

FOOD

NEW RESTAURANT MEMBERS contd.

Riverbank Restaurant

Dromahair

Co Leitrim

The Country Kitchen

Main Street, Borrisokane

Co Tipperary

www.riverbankrestaurant.ie

The Lough Inn

Partry, Claremorris

Co Mayo

Whitefriar Grill

16 Aungier St

Dublin 2

The Fumbally

Fumbally Lane

Dublin 8

www.thefumbally.ie

The Vanilla Pod Restaurant @ The Headfort Arms Hotel

Headfort Place, Kells

Co Meath

www.headfortarms.ie

The Farm Restaurant

133 Upper Leeson Street

Dublin 4

Kens Oriental Restaurant

John Broderick St, Iristown Central, Athlone

Co. Westmeath

Al Boschetto

2 Merrion Road, Ballsbridge

Dublin 4

Kellys Bar and Restaurant

Green Street, Birr

Co Offaly

Creole

49 Dominic Street

Co Galway

Aherne’s Seafood Bar

163 North Main St, Youghal

Co Cork

Kellys Bar and Restaurant

Green Street, Birr

Co Offaly

Arboretum Garden & Restaurant Centre

Old Kilkenny Road, R448 Exit 6 Off M9 Motorway, Leighlinbridge

Co Carlow

The Grapevine Wine & Tapas Bar

6 Rose Inn Street, Kilkenny

Co Kilkenny

www.thegrapevinetapasbar.com

The Stonehouse Restaurant

29 Thomas St, Clonmel

Co Tipperary

www.stonehouserestaurant.ie

Dingle Bay Hotel

Strand Street, Dingle

Co Kerry

www.dinglebayhotel.com

Whites Restaurant @ The Shirley Arms Hotel

Main Street, Carrick MacCross

Co Monagahn

www.shirleyarmshotel.ie

Artisan Restaurant Galway

2 Quay Street, Galway

Co Galway

www.artisangalway.com

Morans Oyster Cottage

The Weir, Kilcolgan

Co Galway

www.moransoystercottage.com

The Oak Room Restaurant

32 Main St, Cavan Town

Co Cavan

www.theoakroom.ie

Bull McCabes

Airport Road, Cork

Co Cork

www.bullmccabes.ie

Jaipur Malahide

5 St James Terrace, Malahide

Co Dublin

http://jaipur.ie/

Jaipur Georges St

41 Georges St

Dublin 2

http://jaipur.ie/

Jaipur Dalkey

21 Castle St, Dalkey

Co Dublin

http://jaipur.ie/

Chakra by Jaipur

Meridian Point Centre, Greystones

Co Wicklow

http://jaipur.ie/

Ananda

Sandyford Road, Dundrum Town Centre

Dublin 14

http://anandarestaurant.ie/

Jaipur Ongar

35 Main St, Ongar Village

Dublin 15

www.jaipur.ie

Pepe Carlo

Courtyard Shopping Centre, Newbridge

Co Kildare

www.pepecarlorestaurant.ie

The Kerry Coast Inn

8/9 Church St, Caherciveen

Co Kerry

www.kerrycoastinn.com

The Larder Cafe Restaurant

8 Parliament St

Dublin 2

www.thelardercaferestaurant.ie

The Maestro Restaurant & Guest Accomodation

New Line, Manorhamilton

Co Leitrim

http://www.facebook.com/ TheMaestroRestaurant?fref=ts

The Botanica Restaurant @ Raddison Blu Hotel

Farnham Estate

Co Cavan

www.farnhamestate.com

The Restaurant

Level 3, Brown Thomas, Grafton Street

Dublin 2

www.itsa.ie

forTHOUGHT

www.theloughinnweebly.com

www.kens.ie

Budget 2013 www.ahernes.com

We submitted our Pre-Budget submission to the Government at the end of November, lobbying to all our Oireachtas Ministers, TDs and Senators. The main focus of our submission was highlighting the shortage of chefs and the need for the Government to create adequate training programmes that would provide enough chefs for the restaurant industry’s current needs. At the recent Restaurant Association of Ireland Roadshows, we found that restaurants throughout the country are crying out for chefs of all grades.

The reduced VAT rate of 9% was retained in all tourism sectors until the end of 2013, and there was an increase of the VAT cash receipts basis accounting threshold from €1m to €w.

What Budget 2013 will mean for your restaurant:

It was announced in Budget 2013 that a new scheme “PlusOne” is being developed by the Departments of Finance/Social Protection

From midnight on December 5th, a €1 increase (including VAT) in Excise Duty on a bottle of wine was brought into force. It is up to each individual restaurant on whether they want to pass on the increase to customers. A 10 cent (including VAT) increase in Excise duty on Beers, ciders and standard measure of spirits was also introduced.

contributors will be removed and the minimum annual PRSI contribution for self-employed earners will be increased from €253 to €500.

employers to hire individuals that are long-term unemployed (more details to follow).

Restaurants Association of Ireland

Restaurants Association of Ireland

11 Bridge Court – Citygate - St. Augustine Street - Dublin 8 - Registered Company No. 56224

11 Bridge Court – Citygate - St. Augustine Street - Dublin 8 - Registered Company No. 56224

Official Sponsor of

Official Sponsor of

FOODforTHOUGHT

Patrons:

FOODforTHOUGHT

Patrons:

FOODforTHOUGHT

Irish Guild of Sommeliers The Irish Guild of Sommeliers (IGS) in partnership with the Restaurant Association Of Ireland (RAI) are delighted to announce they will be running another modular 8 week product knowledge to members of both organizations beginning in February and concluding with an exam in June 2013.

Venue: Stephens Green Hibernian Club, Dublin 2 Time: 11am – 4pm Training costs: Member of both Restaurants Association of Ireland & Irish Guild of Sommeliers: €250 Membership of Irish Guild of Sommeliers: €75 Member of Restaurants Association of Ireland only: €500 Member of Irish Guild of Sommeliers only: €300 Non-Member course only: €1000 Special Offer to non-members: Join both the Restaurants Association of Ireland and the Irish Guild of Sommeliers and be included on the training course for €945.

Training Dates 2013 Monday

February 18th

Monday

March 4th and 25th

Monday

April 8th and 22nd

Monday

May 13th

Monday

May 27th

Exam

June 10th

If you require further information, or application forms for either the course or the Guild, please call Kim Leonard on 01 6779901 or email info@rai.ie.

FOODforTHOUGHT

FÁS/ Apprentice Scheme Update In September we applied for funding through the FÁS Labour Market and Education Training Fund to establish a Professional Cookery Apprentice Scheme. This would take 220 people off the live register training them over a 9 month period at Level 5 FETAC Professional Cookery as well as giving them placements in restaurants.

“Notwithstanding the fact that we scored 13 out of 15 in terms of creating employment after the course, we were disappointed to learn that our application was unsuccessful. We will continue to explore every avenue available to establish training courses in Professional Cookery to aid the shortage of Chefs the industry is currently experiencing”, commented RAI CEO Adrian Cummins.

The Restaurants Association is currently working with the Department of Social Protection to establish pilot initiatives in Dublin and Kilkenny to take those with an interest in culinary arts off the live register and enable them to gain practical experience in our member’s restaurants.

Become a Member of the Restaurants Association of Ireland Want to have your voice heard?

Want to make savings in the running of your restaurant?

Need advice on HR, Electricity bills and social media?

The Restaurants Association of Ireland is the professional body of the Irish Restaurant Industry and the primary functions of the Association are to promote and defend the interests of its members.

Our membership currently stands at 700 and with over 60 Trade Partners.

Many regulatory bodies affect the day to day running of a restaurant, including HSE, NERA, EHO, and local authorities to name but a few. Membership of the RAI will ensure that you remain up to speed on all of these issues.

Sunday Independent Irish Restaurant Awards fever hit the Restaurants Association of Ireland and we hope it’ll take hold of your restaurant too! Every year, regional award ceremonies are held in Munster, Connacht, Ulster, Leinster and Dublin with the All-Ireland awards culminating in May. The awards, which will celebrate their sixth year in the Burlington Hotel, will take place in Mayand will hopefully, once again, prove to be the highlight of the Irish restaurant industry’s calendar. Nomination slips will in available in Sunday Independent LIFE Magazine from February onwards, so keep an eye out for details on how to nominate your restaurant!

For more information, see www. irishrestaurantawards.com. Don’t forget to like ‘Irish Restaurant Awards’ on Facebook and follow @restawards.

NEW RESTAURANT MEMBERS NEW RESTAURANT MEMBERS

On a day to day basis we; Represent Assist Inform Communicate

Bracken Grill @ Bracken Court Hotel

Bridge St, Balbriggan

Co Dublin

www.brackencourthotel.ie

Riverbank @ The Courtyard Hotel

MAIN STREET, Leixlip

Co Kildare

www.courtyard.ie

Pike Restaurant Suite @ The Pikers Lodge

Lough Gowna, Gowna

Co Cavan

www.pikerslodge.com

Larkins Bar & Bistro

JKL Street, Edenderry

Co Offaly

www.larkinsbar.com

Mastersons Steakhouse & Wine Bar

17 Main St, Swords

Co Dublin

www.mastersonssteakhouse.ie

We offer an excellent support network through our 9 branches in the Northwest, West, Midlands, Midwest, Cork, Kerry, Southeast, Dublin and Northeast.

Asador

Haddington Road

Dublin 4

www.asador.ie

The Bective

Bective Sq, Kells

Co Meath

The Central

4 Trim Gate St, Navan

Co Meath

Whether you are a Restaurant, Gastro Pub or Café get in touch with us today to discuss membership. Call 01 – 6779901 or e-mail membership@rai.ie Awards season is almost upon us! From February to May, Santa Rita/

Captain House Restaurant

Mount Street, Tullamore

Co Offaly

www.captainshouserestaurants.ie

Annie May’s Bar & Restaurant

11 Bridge St, Skibbereen

Co Cork

www.anniemays.ie

Restaurants Association of Ireland

Restaurants Association of Ireland

11 Bridge Court – Citygate - St. Augustine Street - Dublin 8 - Registered Company No. 56224

11 Bridge Court – Citygate - St. Augustine Street - Dublin 8 - Registered Company No. 56224

Official Sponsor of

Official Sponsor of

FOODforTHOUGHT

Patrons:

FOODforTHOUGHT

Patrons:

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TOURISM GROWTH

On target Tourism was never an easy industry to keep tabs on. It was always much more difficult to quantify than, say, the textile industry was or even agriculture. Now, in the age of the internet; in the age of the thought that transforms into action at the speed of light almost without detection, this many-headed beast of an industry is more difficult than ever to understand and more difficult again to control.

Fáilte Ireland, ISIC, Tourism Ireland and the NITB have been making commendable efforts to grapple the cross-border tourism industry of the island of Ireland and to find out how best to address the alarming fact that the number of visitors from our largest market and nearest neighbour (i.e. Great Britain) has halved in the last five years.

The fruit of their combined efforts was the recently-published ‘GB Path to Growth’ document. Fáilte Ireland CEO Shaun Quinn has described the report as a ‘seminal piece of work’: “For the first time, I believe, we had key players in tourism around the table- the industry and the agencies-coming together to not only agree a shared vision for the British market but critically a clear practical work plan.”

Alarming though it may sound to think that this is the ‘first time’ that ‘key players’ of the tourism industry have come around the table to formulate a marketing plan of action, the report has been carefully and professionally created with the best available contemporary methology and application of marketing philosophy. A sample of no fewer than 10,000 Britons were contacted with in order to find out what makes them tick and, more specifically, why they aren’t coming to Ireland as much any more.

The report is littered with the sort of terminology and parlance that has become commonplace to the modern marketing graduate. The report talks of ‘clusters’ and ‘experiences’ that are described as ‘best in class’ and ‘hero’ (sic) rather than of places and products that are part of the Irish tourism offering.

When speaking of the target market, the report refers to them in terms of newlydefined sectors rather than following traditional divisions of geography and age groups. Nowhere in the report, for instance, does it distinguish between Scottish tourists and tourists from the South-East of England. Instead, their target market is defined by seven sectors of tourist type; tribes, if you will that are named according to their interests and motivations.

The most important one, they say, is the ‘Social Energiser’. This sector, the report says, “can be most quickly persuaded because we already have the product it seeks - i.e. vibrant city life.” But if this British sector is looking for vibrant city life,

then it can surely find it far cheaper at home or just as cheap and much more exotic by taking the short trip to France, Belgium or the Czech Republic? Is the product this sector seeks not one of our weaknesses rather than our strengths?

What about the notion of habits being defined by your environment or by your age? Are we perhaps missing something in this baseline stratagem by ignoring completely the geographical and national divisions of Great Britain? Are a 29-year-old from Glasgow and a 29-year-old from Kent motivated by the same things?

“It’s a fair point,” Éamonn McKeon, CEO of the ISIC. “You call them tribes, but these are segments that just fit into that category.

The Social Energiser from Scotland would be no different from the Social Energiser from the South-East: they’re single or possibly married with no children. They love to come back from a holiday exhausted; they go for action and fun...

They’re no different whether they come from Wales, Scotland or the South Coast.”

With all this emphasis on sectors of humanity from the tourists’ point of view and experiences from the product point of view, is there not a marked absence of emphasis on the very products that define us and on the things that we are better at doing (arguably) than anyone else? These would include fishing (the most popular sport in Britain), natural beauty and our coastline. Should we not, for example, with great urgency be urging the immediate implication of a plan to build an all-Ireland marina network?

The commissioning of the report also raises the fear that we might be missing the greater picture in that the average British visitor is a little tired of a fairly pricey location that has grown just too similar to the UK; one which is now speaking to them in global marketing speak that sounds chillingly similar to that of the Welsh and Scottish tourist boards? Maybe in a Europe where increasing familiarity breeds contempt, the efforts of Tourism Ireland and Fáilte Ireland would be better served by keeping what we hold in terms of the British market and then concentrating on zones slightly further afield?

Here’s hoping that the forces that be in the Irish tourism industry keep their fingers on the pulses of the many facets of this vital industry and, more importantly, that they concentrate on the trends out there so that we continue to have sustainable market growth in the future.

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SPA

Dublin’s iconic Shelbourne Hotel opens its new five star spa

The Shelbourne Hotel’s glamorous facilities are expanding to include an exciting five star treat for all dedicated beauty lovers, with the recent opening of the new Spa at The Shelbourne.

Set over three floors, the Spa at The Shelbourne with its luxurious décor will be a haven of focused beauty, using wonderful products in the carefully selected menu of treatments available from two world-class beauty brands - Elemis and Pevonia.

One of the world’s leading luxury spa and skincare brands, Elemis is a successful combination of natural active ingredients with cutting-edge technology, producing some of the most influential anti-ageing products and professional spa-therapies the beauty industry has ever seen.

Available through an elite network of over 1200 spas and salons around the world, from exclusive salons, lavish cruise line 30

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SPA

spas and leading retail stores, to some of the world’s most luxurious 5-star spa resorts and hotels, an Elemis treatment anywhere in the world is guaranteed to offer outstanding results.

Founded in October 1991 by husband and wife Philippe and Sylvie Hennessy, Pevonia was established upon the understanding that that the most effective skincare ingredients can be found in the safest source on earth, in nature. Just over twenty years later, Pevonia has grown into the world’s number one professional skin and spa care brand with a range of over 300 award-winning in-spa treatments and homecare products found in more than 20,000 elite spas, salons and aestheticians’ clinics in over 100 countries worldwide.

Pevonia’s ethically and environmentally friendly skin and spa care ranges are all 100% natural, contain no parabens, alcohol, mineral oil, SLS, urea, formaldehyde, dyes, comedogenics, lanolin, artificial ingredients and are guaranteed cruelty-free while all packaging is completely recyclable and fully biodegradable.

In addition to their spa lines, both Elemis and Pevonia offer a full range of athome products designed to achieve and maintain healthy glowing skin, many of

which will be available to purchase in the Spa at The Shelbourne Shop.

With six stylishly comfortable treatment rooms, manicure area and a uniquely lovely relaxation room, elegantly lit by chandeliers, overlooking St. Stephen’s Green, the Spa at The Shelbourne will provide an oasis of calm designed to treat and pamper in the way that The Shelbourne knows best!

The Spa at The Shelbourne also has a swimming pool, sauna, steam room, dance studio with full range of exercise classes, and an exclusive gym with sophisticated equipment and limited gym membership available.

“The Spa at The Shelbourne is another string to the bow of Dublin’s favourite hotel,” says Stephen Hanley, General Manager of The Shelbourne Hotel. “We are delighted to partner with these two superb product ranges, Elemis and Pevonia, which, with their focus on excellent quality and a luxurious sensory experience make a perfect fit for the city’s landmark hotel!”

The Shelbourne Dublin – a Renaissance Hotel 27 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2 Telephone +353 1 663 4500 Facsimile +353 1 661 6006 www.TheShelbourne.ie H&RT DECEMBER ‘12/JANUARY ‘13

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AWARDS

Westport’s Knockranny House Hotel wins AA Hotel of the Year

Geraldine and Adrian Noonan, Proprietors of Knockranny House Hotel and Spa, AA Hotel of the Year with Minister Varadkar and Conor Faughnan

Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Leo Varadkar,recently presented husband and wife team, Geraldine and Adrian Noonan, proprietors and managers of Westport’s Knockranny House Hotel and Spa with the ultimate accolade of ‘AA Ireland Hotel of the Year 2012/2013.’ The award is the most prestigious of its kind in the Irish Hospitality Industry and enormous consideration goes into the selection of the most fitting recipient each year.

Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport Leo Varadkar said: “Congratulations to hoteliers Adrian and Geraldine Noonan of Knockranny House Hotel, and also to their fellow award winners They are all excellent ambassadors for the Irish hospitality sector, and clearly go the extra mile to provide a first class experience to their guests. Next year’s Gathering Ireland will provide a unique opportunity to put Ireland on the world stage as a top-notch holiday destination. That’s why today’s award winners are so important, by doing their bit to drive Irish standards even higher.”

The AA has been inspecting and grading hotels in Ireland for more than a century and are delighted to celebrate the achievements of Knockranny House Hotel 32

H&RT DECEMBER ‘12/JANUARY ‘13

and their staff. Excellence in service and hospitality as well as a clear demonstration of continuous improvement are key in attaining the coveted title of AA Hotel of the Year and AA Hotel Inspectors reveal that Knockranny House Hotel have been in very close contention over recent years.

Evolving the hotel: Since opening fifteen years ago, the Noonan’s have shown an enduring commitment to enhancing and evolving their hotel. Among their undertakings has been the addition of 40 luxury bedrooms in 1996 which brought their total to 97. Among their bedrooms are 13 sumptuous suites which include a magnificent Presidential Suite, Penthouse Suite and a number of beautiful Master and Courtyard Suites.

Other key developments at Knockranny House Hotel over the last decade have included an extension of their celebrated La Fougére restaurant and impressive Nephin Conference Suite. They also launched their award winning spa, Spa Salveo which includes numerous thermal suites, treatment rooms and pool to great success in 2005.

Award winning cuisine: Another important event in Knockranny House Hotel’s journey to becoming AA Hotel of the Year was the appointment of vastly experienced Executive Head Chef, Seamus Commons three years ago. Having spent years in some of the country’s finest kitchens, Mayo native Seamus has earned a host of awards for the hotel including 2 AA Rosettes for culinary excellence. Commons also goes to great lengths to develop his team having mentored two of the most recent winners of the Euro-toques Best Young Chefs in Ireland.

In addition to excellent cuisine, the overall quality of visitor experience delivered throughout at Knockranny House Hotel helped them to achieve the highest merit score in the country according to AA Hotel Inspectors. The service, accommodation, amenities and setting all scored very highly contributing to Knockranny House Hotel earning the top accolade of AA Hotel of the Year.

Proprietor and General Manager Adrian Noonan on their award: “The people who

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AWARDS recommend personally to their own friends and family.

Features which particularly set The Heron’s Cove apart from the many other fine properties within the same category are its stunning harbour-side location and its AA Rosette award winning cuisine according to AA Hotel Inspectors. The Heron’s Cove is tucked away on a narrow road to a delightful tidal cove, which boasts an abundance of interesting wild life which, of course, includes the Heron.

Clockwise fom left: Sue Hill, Heron’s Cover B&B and restaurant, Adrian Noonan & Geraldine Noonan, Knockranny House Hotel, Neil Lucy, Proprietor of Gougane Barra Hotel, Teresa Browne, Proprietor of Clareville House B&B, AA Bean an Tí of the Year and Conor Faughnan, Director of Consumer Affairs, AA Ireland

Conor Faughnan & Teresa Browne, Proprietor of Clareville House B&B, AA Bean an Tí of the Year

work with us every day are the real recipients of this award. Their hard work, dedication and genuine warmth are the reasons our guests return time and time again. Thank you AA Ireland for recognizing them”.

In addition to attracting guests for its award winning cuisine and spa facilities Knockranny House Hotel is also one of the most popular wedding and conference venues in Connaught.

“It’s a huge and very challenging feat to be named AA Hotel of the Year and only a hotel which exemplifies the very best that Ireland has to offer can be deemed worthy. Our every congratulations go to the Noonan family and their loyal and passionate team on their achievement. They have been a very close contender for the award for a number of years now and enormous credit goes to them all for their drive and determination in making Knockranny House Hotel the excellent destination it is today.” Conor Faughnan, Director of Consumer Affairs, AA Ireland.

OTHER AWARD WINNERS AA IRELAND GUEST ACCOMMODATION OF THE YEAR AWARD 2012/2013 The Heron’s Cove B&B and Restaurant, Goleen, West Cork has been named the ‘AA Ireland Guest Accommodation of the Year for 2012/2013’, an award which is given to the best in the AA’s Bed and Breakfast, Guesthouse and Farmhouse category.

Owned by Euro-toques chef, Sue Hill, The Heron’s Cove B&B and Restaurant was opened in 1985. A special accolade, the AA Guest Accommodation of the Year is awarded annually to a unique establishment which AA Hotel Inspectors would

AA IRELAND COURTESY & CARE AWARD 2012/2013 Gougane Barra Hotel, Ballingeary, Co. Cork has been announced as the ‘AA Courtesy and Care Award 2012/2013’. The Award, linked to the AA’s motto of Courtesy and Care, is awarded annually to the AA hotel, which stands apart in its delivery of superb Irish hospitality.

Owned and run by the Cronin/Lucey Family for five generations, Gougane Barra Hotel situated in the Muscraí Gaeltacht area is no stranger to winning awards. They have been awarded an AA Rosette for culinary excellence annually since 2006 and were also awarded the “AA Tourism Innovation Award” in 2008 for their highly successful “Theatre by the Lake” programme which is housed in a marquee on the stunning lake shore.

Leading to the selection of Gougane Barra Hotel as the AA Courtesy and Care Award, AA Hotel Inspectors noted the attitude among staff that nothing is too much trouble. Staff are so keen to please that they’re almost disappointed if they cannot go out of their way to help guests according to AA Hotel Inspectors.

AA IRELAND BEAN AN Tí OF THE YEAR 2012/2013 Teresa Browne proprietor of Clareville House B&B, Tuamgraney, Scariff, East Clare has been named AA Ireland Bean an Tí of the Year 2012/2013. This special award, unique to Ireland, now in its third year, celebrates exceptional commitment and hard work by an individual proprietor to first-rate hospitality.

A hidden gem in the picturesque town of Tuamgraney adjacent to Scariff at the west end of Lough Derg, Clareville House B&B is a firm favourite among all who stay there.

Guests seemingly without exception are utterly charmed by the warmth and sincerity of the hospitality offered by Teresa and her husband Derek who take joy in going out of their way to assist their guests.

In addition to Teresa’s clear enthusiasm for making people feel welcome, among the other factors which distinguished Clareville House B&B her from the many other excellent practitioners in the category was the excellent standard of both their bedrooms and made to order breakfasts.

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INNOVATION

It’s more than just the bag…

Reputations are hard won and easily lost; so says Jill Aston after backpacking around the world and meeting girls who had their bags stolen on more than one occasion.

Women remember everything about bag theft says Aston. What was stolen, the hopeless feeling of being stranded and especially the venue they were in, giving stern warnings to avoid the place.

Unfair, says Aston. Venues work hard to give customers a positive experience but what do you do when your venue is the target of bag thieves?

Jill Aston is the inventor of Bagsitt, a product so simple you wonder why no one has ever thought of it before.

Bagsitt, selling to the hospitality sector, is an attractive, portable bag holder stand with counter balanced clips, topped off with an A5 advertising opportunity for smart advertising next to a customer. A deterrent to thieves as belongings stay in eye line of the owner while the venue avails of this new customer touch point.

“ This versatile new product comes free standing, with or without advertising space or wall-mounted with a one year guarantee but with clips counterbalanced there are no moving parts to wear out.

A great innovation is one that solves an everyday problem; in this instance Bagsitt is the solution, allowing the buyer to benefit from the peace of mind of reduced trip hazards, enhanced customer satisfaction and opportunities to enhance the triple bottom-line. Jill is cognizant of the issue of bags cluttering up valuable space in a hospitality environment, causing accidents, trips, falls and breakages Weighing just 7 kilos Bagsitt can hold up to 14kilos weight and is remarkably stable even if loaded on one side only. The base is just 22cms, standing 105cm for display at customer eye level. Manufactured from mild steel, the powder finish and robust design makes it suitable for indoor and outdoor use with a bolt down option if

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required. It even flat packs if you ever wanted to store it but in reality, you probably never will. Custom made elements to suit client branding and interior design are available. This versatile new product comes free standing, with or without advertising space or wall-mounted with a one year guarantee but with clips counterbalanced there are no moving parts to wear out. The U shape signage frame design ensures that any printed material is safe from weather conditions, minimizing wastage; holding double-sided printed material so ongoing printing costs are minimised. Bagsitt will deliver for your business 365 days a year.

Suitable for hand bags, lap top bags, baby changing bags, rucksacks and many more.

What Bagsitt offers your business?

Bagsitt provides a superior customer service from the peace of mind offered with unique advertising opportunities for you, the venue. (Up-selling and cross-selling) At long last you are no longer reliant on staff to remember offers. Your staff are happier that their time is saved as Bagsitt communicates the

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INNOVATION attractive handbag with the reassurance of the bag in full sight. Bagsitt design is unique to the marketplace with a height that appeals to young, seniors and disabled alike for ease of access to handbags and belongings; engaging with them on a sub conscious level, reassuring them that the venue is providing a safe and relaxed atmosphere for them from the front lobby to the dining room, spa, bedroom or bathroom.

Overcoming customers’ security headaches, Bagsitt combines a ‘specials board’ with the benefits of reduced trip hazards, a theft deterrent and enhanced customer experience. In this age of heightened customer expectations, any cost benefit analysis of this excellent value signage option also needs to consider the competitive advantage this device offers in terms of word-of-mouth advertising. What better way to promote word-of-mouth than by introducing a device which helps your guests relax, feel taken care of, stimulates conversation and enhances their first impressions of your business.

International trials have indicated that employees are quick to see the benefits of this device, and customer feedback indicates the value placed on its ease of use and handiness. In practice the device has proven to be popular, recognising the demands on frontline employees to

specials/offers and menus in high volume environments. Tripping hazards are reduced adhering to health & safety measures for public and employees and for some venues there is the opportunity of an additional revenue stream offering media space for sale.

What Bagsitt offers your customers?

Bagsitt is offered to a customer as they sit down. It can be left in place by a table or chair or stored and moved to the customer. The customer simply drops their bag strap onto the clip. As the strap passes over, the clip swings back into place above the strap, taking two hands to remove the strap to release the bag. As your customer interacts with Bagsitt their eye is drawn to the advertising space, you can keep them informed of the offers you want to sell them. Customers can flaunt their

“ Overcoming customers’ security headaches, Bagsitt combines a ‘specials board’ with the benefits of reduced trip hazards, a theft deterrent and enhanced customer experience.

remember endless details, keeps their workplace hazard-free and first and foremost provides a welcoming service.

Current Bagsitt users frequently comment on the fact it arrives ready to use, with minimal training required (unless you want up selling training & development as part of a package), the high number of advantages associated with the product means that it is a great addition to any high volume environment.

Bagsitt allows the buyer to advertise their own products or to generate further revenue by offering the advertising space for sale without being tied to a particular media buying agency. The initial cost outlay can be made back in enhanced up-selling.

For further details contact Jill Ashton Office - +353 1 235 1588 Mobile - +353 87 28 41304 Skype - Bagsitt www.bagsitt.com H&RT DECEMBER ‘12/JANUARY ‘13

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TOURISM

Tourism Ireland launches 2013 marketing plans

North America and Mainland Europe key to unlocking tourism growth in 2013

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North America and Mainland Europe hold the key to tourism growth in 2013, according to Tourism Ireland, when it launched its marketing plans for 2013 recently. The plans will see visitor numbers to the island of Ireland increase by +5% to 7.6 million in 2013, contributing €3.7 billion (+6%) to the economies, north and south.

access, the visa waiver scheme and the many compelling reasons to visit Ireland. A combined UK and Ireland visa has the potential to deliver additional growth from these markets.

Niall Gibbons, CEO of Tourism Ireland (left), with Tourism Minister Leo Varadkar, at Croke Park for the launch of Tourism Ireland’s 2013 marketing plans.

Conor Hennigan, General Manager of The Malton, Killarney, with Leonie Kelly, Tourism Ireland, at the launch of Tourism Ireland’s 2013 Marketing Plans.

2012 looks set to be one of the strongest years ever for visitors from North America to Ireland (since the previous high of 2007, when we welcomed over one million visitors). And, with the number of airline seats from the United States to Ireland set to grow by +20% for the summer of 2013, Tourism Ireland believes this is a market of considerable potential. A new three-year plan “Make Ireland Jump Out” - will be rolled out in the US in 2013. It aims to increase the number of American visitors by +20% between 2013 and 2015 and to win a greater share of all travel by Americans to Europe.

Mainland Europe is also an increasingly important market for Irish tourism, now delivering even more holidaymakers and revenue than Great Britain. For 2013, Tourism Ireland aims to welcome almost 2.5 million European visitors (an increase of +4.4%). The organisation’s resources will be prioritised in the two key markets of Germany and France - followed by Italy, the Nordics, Spain and the Netherlands. And a new strategy for Great Britain, our largest tourism market - “GB Path to Growth” - will be implemented, to grow the number of British holidaymakers by +20% i.e. an additional 200,000 holiday visitors per year by 2016.

Australia and emerging tourism markets also look set to experience a record year in 2012 - thanks in part to improved access, with more air routes than ever before via the Middle East providing good connectivity from Australia, China and India. For 2013, Tourism Ireland will continue its successful strategy of working with airlines, the travel trade and industry partners, as well as influential media in those markets - highlighting ease of

Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport Leo Varadkar said: “Tourism is central to Government plans for economic recovery.

Shortly after the election we brought in a range of measures to support the sector, including a special tourism VAT rate of 9%.

Next year, Ireland will host the biggest single tourism event ever held in Ireland, The Gathering Ireland 2013. Everybody in Government, Tourism Ireland and Fáilte Ireland is leaving no stone unturned to reach our ambitious target of 325,000 extra visitors next year. With the support of the wider community at home and abroad, I am confident we can deliver growth of over 5% in overseas visits next year, with the knock-on benefits in terms of revenue and jobs in every part of the country.”

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Tourism Ireland’s Focus in 2013 Tourism Ireland has identified a number of strategic areas to underpin its promotional activity in 2013 and grow visitor numbers from overseas in 2013 and beyond.

• Implementing a new strategy for Great Britain: GB Path to Growth Tourism Ireland and tourism industry partners conducted fundamental reviews of the GB and US markets this year. These identified new best prospects which underpin the overall growth target of +5%. In Great Britain, where economic conditions remain difficult, a root-and-branch review was undertaken and a new strategy - “GB Path to Growth” - was developed which aims to

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TOURISM return the market to sustained growth. New segments will be targeted by Tourism Ireland in 2013, including “Social Energisers” (young, fun-loving urban adventurers) and the “Culturally Curious” (an older group wishing to broaden their minds, interested in landscapes, history and culture), to grow the number of British holidaymakers by +20% i.e. an additional 200,000 holiday visitors per year by 2016.

organisation will work with embassies and Irish networks to create ‘Gathering’ opportunities; and with tourism partners to facilitate a strong presence for The Gathering Ireland around the world throughout the year. It will ensure optimum visibility in all its activity, including advertising, e-marketing, social media and publicity; and will highlight the huge programme of festivals and events taking place right around the island in 2013 at trade and consumer events.

Niall Gibbons, CEO Tourism Ireland; Tourism Minister Leo Varadkar; Éamonn McKeon, CEO Irish Tourist Industry Confederation (ITIC); Vivienne Jupp, Chairperson of the Tourism Recovery Taskforce; Shaun Quinn, CEO Fáilte Ireland; and Vanessa Markey, Tourism Ireland’s head of GB, at the announcement of a new strategy, GB Path to Growth, to restore growth from the island of Ireland’s largest source market.

• Making Ireland ‘Jump Out’ in the United States In the US, a new three-year plan, “Make Ireland Jump Out”, will position Ireland as an aspirational, iconic and accessible vacation destination for Americans and will target new segments, making Ireland ‘jump out’ to them in all Tourism Ireland’s promotional activity. The plan aims to increase the number of American visitors by +20% between 2013 and 2015 and to win a greater share of all travel by Americans to Europe.

Tourism Ireland’s activity to highlight The Gathering Ireland 2013 includes print ads in key publications.

Eamonn McKeon, ITIC; Ruth Andrews, ITOA; Joe Byrne and Alison Metcalfe, both Tourism Ireland New York; and Adrian Cummins, Restaurants Association of Ireland, at the announcement of a new three-year plan for the US market.

• Priorities in Mainland Europe Tourism Ireland is confident of delivering growth from core European markets in 2013. The organisation aims to welcome almost 2.5 million European visitors (an increase of +4.4%).

Resources will be prioritised in two markets - Germany and France - followed by Italy, the Nordics, Spain and the Netherlands.

• The Gathering Ireland 2013 - an unprecedented opportunity 2013 looks set to be a very exciting year for tourism, with The Gathering Ireland 2013 taking place, the biggest and most ambitious tourism-led event ever held in Ireland. Tourism Ireland will promote The Gathering to the 70 million people across the world who feel linked by family, friends or otherwise with Ireland.

Tourism Ireland will encourage the Diaspora in places like Britain, the US, Canada and Australia to come home in 2013. The

• Ireland.com - a transformed web presence for potential holidaymakers Tourism Ireland’s new website, Ireland.com, has been completely redeveloped and designed to transform the targeting of potential holidaymakers around the globe. The site will appear in 11 different language versions for over 30 individual markets around the world. It has been specially designed to capitalise on the huge importance of the internet in planning and booking holidays today and to harness the phenomenal growth in social media - an area in which Tourism Ireland is already performing well, with 1.1 million fans on Facebook and ranking number two in the world among tourist boards on the popular social networking site. The new domain name for the site, Ireland.com, with its ease of recognition and memorability, will ensure greater ‘stand-out’ for the destination around the world and deliver savings in promotions and search engine optimisation (SEO) activity.

A screengrab from Tourism Ireland’s new website, Ireland.com.

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TOURISM CHALLENGES

The magic five per cent Frank Corr asks how Ireland can make its 2013 tourism target

Once again it’s a promise of a five per cent growth in tourism numbers and revenue with the expectation that much of that growth will come from ‘The Gathering’.

Indeed, if the Government’s ‘Big Tourism idea’ delivers the hoped-for 325,000 incremental visitors to Ireland, then the target set by Tourism Ireland seems certain to be achieved and modest celebrations can be anticipated at Bishop’s Court, Amiens Street and Government Buildings.

For this pleasant scenario to unfold, much needs to go right in the year ahead with arresting the decline in GB visitors top of the priority list.

There are however grounds for optimism.

Despite the rantings of Gabriel Byrne, ‘The Gathering’ is a bright marketing idea which gives Tourism Ireland an opportunity to engage with the massive Irish diaspora of 70 million people. We only need a tiny proportion of these to take the bait for the promotion to be a success. Meanwhile ‘The Gathering’ has captured the imagination of many people at home and has encouraged us all to think about tourism and to play our part in its promotion and development. It might be argued that the €12m.

Government investment in the project is insufficient, but it is nevertheless extra spending which is always welcome.

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Certainly the 1,700 events planned for this year is an impressive number and while the ‘Greaghlone Frog Jumping Festival’ may now be the ‘Greaghlone Frog Jumping Gathering’, some new events have also emerged and existing carnivals and festivals are likely to make a special effort this year.

It will also be easier for visitors to get here in 2013. The number of airline seats on offer from the US alone will grow by 20% and it is well known that when seats exist, airlines are adept at finding passengers to sit on them.

With the exception of Great Britain, Irish tourism is also entering 2013 on the back of a good year from most key markets. Over the first ten months of 2012 we welcomed 903,000 US visitors, up from 885,000 in the first ten months of 2011.

There is every reason to believe therefore that we will again attain the ‘magic million’ of US visitors this year. Europe was marginally up for the ten months at 2.043m and ‘Other Areas’ grew from 310,000 to 324,000, so we can reasonably expect further growth in 2013, although tough Meanwhile ‘The economic conditions in many European Gathering’ has captured countries will make the task more difficult. Tourism Ireland is nevertheless the imagination of many its usual optimistic self and is launching people at home and has a campaign called ‘Make Ireland Jump encouraged us all to Out’, which aims to grow the North think about tourism and American market by more than 20% by to play our part in its 2015. That’s confidence. There will also be a greater focus on European promotion and markets, particularly France and development Germany, which Tourism Ireland believes have good potential and are capable of returning a 4.4% growth this year.

The acquisition of the www.ireland.com domain from ‘The Irish Times’ has also given Tourism Ireland a marketing gem which it plans to optimise with a new suite of websites in 11 languages aimed at 30 markets.

While much light shines from the crystal ball, the dark shadow of uncertainty relates to the Great Britain market which has been in freefall now for five years and

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TOURISM CHALLENGES

which shows little sign of recovery. The fall off in GB visitors converted growth into decline for Irish tourism in 2012 with ten month numbers down from 2.45m. in 2011 to 2.360m last year. We now attract one million GB visitors a year less than we did in 2007 while the number arriving for a holiday is down to around 800,000 from 1.77m. five years ago. As the Tourism Recovery Task Force reported: ‘the island of Ireland has lost half of its tourism business from Great Britain over the past five years’.

Achieving recovery in Great Britain is therefore extremely urgent. If the current rate of decline is not halted, a further drop in 2013 could wipe out gains in other markets as it did in 2012. The task is formidable and is not made any easier by a weak euro and the fragile state of the UK economy which is about to join the ‘Austerity Club’ of Europe. To its credit, the TRTF has undertaken a thorough and cold analysis of the GB market and has identified some of the reasons why Britons travel elsewhere for their holidays.

‘The primary barrier to converting potential GB holidaymakers into visitors to the island of Ireland’, the report says, ‘ is that there are simply other places they would rather go, and these destinations are seen as better meeting their needs and interests. We need to catch up with, compete with and beat our competitors in the GB domestic market by making these holidaymakers aware the island of Ireland can, and does, offer the experiences they want.’

The TRTF research also revealed other ‘Barriers to Conversion’, a phrase which is almost missionary. These included ‘There is somewhere else I would rather go’ , ‘Too close to home’ , Cost/value , Lack of iconic known experiences , ‘What can I do and where is it all? and ‘I’ll visit Ireland someday’ As IHI president Fergal O’Connell pointed out however, one of the most chilling tables in the report shows that in a 2011 survey, 40% of Great Britain visitors to Ireland rated their experience as either ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’ value for money.

A decade earlier the number giving their Irish holiday such negative ratings was negligible.

These findings are both insightful and very challenging , for they admit that Britons have turned off Ireland as a destination of choice. The plane-loads that flocked to Temple Bar at weekends, the groups that partied in our provincial towns, the coach trippers who toured Kilkenny and Ballykissangel and the Irish who holidayed with families, have found other places to go which are more appealing for one reason or another.

On the basis of its research, TRTF has devised a new marketing strategy for Britain which is more ‘rifle’ that ‘scattergun’ in its approach. It has identified specific groups such as ‘Social Energisers’, ‘Culturally Curious’ and ‘Great Escapers’ and has devised marketing campaigns targeting these niches. The report also identified four experience types that, it claims, ‘are highly motivating for potential holidaymakers. They are ‘Vibe of the City’, ‘Living Historical Stories’, ‘Awakening

the Senses’ and ‘Getting Active in Nature’.

As a marketing strategy this makes a lot of sense. While GB has been our biggest market (it is being overtaken by Europe), we nevertheless can attract only a small share of that market and a carefully targeted approach will almost certainly pay dividends.

On a more fundamental level however we need to look objectively at our tourism offering to Britons for the good reason that all the clever marketing in the world will not deliver sustained growth if the product is not right. At the IHI Founders Banquet, Minister Varadkar dismissed the 2011 Visitor Survey findings by saying that Ireland is now a good value destination only that visitor attitudes have not caught up. He was however speaking about a survey conducted only in 2011 among people who had just been on an Irish visit.

Not much has changed since then and indeed the raising of tax on wine by a whopping €1 a bottle in the Budget will further raise the dining costs of visitors.

Public transport costs are also soaring and the price of a pint has risen once again.

Hotels and restaurants have of course dropped their prices in response to market conditions, but it can be argued that many struggling hotels sorely need to achieve higher rates if they are to finance urgentlyneeded refurbishment.

Far from being a gloomy scenario, Irish tourism can expect a reasonably successful year in 2013, with a goal of at least arresting the decline in Britain a priority as well as the need for a critical evaluation of just exactly what we are offering to the visitor to-day and in the future.

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AWARDS

Donegal wins another All-Ireland!

Deirdre McGlone of Harvey’s Point hospitality manager of the year 2012 One of the most prestigious awards in the hospitality industry was awarded recently, at a gala event in Dublin. Deirdre McGlone of Harvey’s Point was awarded Hospitality Manager of the Year 2012- Hotel category, at the Irish Hospitality Institute Founders’ Banquet and Hospitality Management Awards 2012. The Gala Awards Ceremony held at the Four Seasons Hotel, Dublin and presided over by the President of the Irish Hospitality Institute Fergal O’Connell FIHI (General Manager Fitzwilliam Hotel, Dublin).

Attendees were greeted by Fergal O’Connell FIHI, as President of the Irish Hospitality Institute with a traditional ‘Céad Mile Fáilte, a greeting embodies the spirit of Irish hospitality. Fergal welcomed the Guest of Honour, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Leo Varadkar TD, whose wide ranging portfolio embraces two industries and which are seen as key to our economic recovery, as well as a sports sector which raises our hearts and spirits in the most difficult of times.

Minister Varadkar said: ‘Tourism is central to Government job-creation plans and a Department of Finance study shows that employment in accommodation and food services has grown by 9% since our Jobs Initiative. This event honours the managers and the properties within the hospitality sector who have played their part in this success, and who will play a crucial role welcoming visitors to Ireland during the Gathering next year’. Fergal added - “Highlighting of the importance Tourism plays on the economy he encouraged support from the Minister to use his undoubted powers of persuasion to ensure that identified incentives that have secured growth in the sector are retained beyond 2013 giving some pricing stability to the sector and ensuring continued job creation and competitiveness. While a lot of work has been achieved by the sector in terms of cost reduction and savings and the despite the travails of recent years, tourism provides 180,000 jobs in Ireland11% of total employment. More significantly however, the sector has created 6000 new jobs over the past 18 months- a performance which outshines any other sector of the economy. We are a people intensive business whose management and employees interact directly and personally with our customers every day of the week. He concluded his address and noted he was looking forward with confidence and optimism to 2013‘The Year of The Gathering’. As we ‘gather’ here this evening, and do so again 40

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Hospitality Manager of the Year, Deirdre McGlone

throughout the coming year, the IHI will play its part in this creative and innovative year-long Festival which will hopefully see many thousands of the Irish Diaspora visit us and share with us the ‘Irish Experience’. The eight main awards were presented including the inaugural Hospitality Manager of the Year - CPD (Continuous Professional Development) and then five enrolments into the Irish Hospitality Institute College of Fellows and a Lifetime Achievement Award.

2012 IHI AWARDS Hospitality Manager of the Year 2012 - Hotel Deirdre McGlone, Proprietor/General Manager, Harvey’s Point Award sponsored by The Irish Times.

Young Hospitality Manager of the Year 2012 Derek McConnell, Assistant Beverage Manager, Compass Group Ireland Award Sponsored by Fáilte Ireland.

Hospitality Manager of the Year 2012 - Human Resources Sarah Marr, Group Human Resources Manager, PREM Group Award sponsored by Noel Recruitment.

Hospitality Manager of the Year 2012 - Catering Noeleen Fox, Food Services Site Manager, ARAMARK at Oracle Award sponsored by Unilever Foodsolutions.

Hospitality Graduate of the Year 2012 Rory Rooney, Galway Mayo Institute of Technology Award sponsored by Classic Drinks Ltd. Hospitality Manager of the Year 2012 - Environmental Mark Duffy, Chief Engineer, Radisson Blu St Helens Hotel, Dublin Award sponsored by EPA Environmental Protection Agency.

Hospitality Manager of the Year 2012 - Rooms/Revenue Division Aidan Dempsey, Rooms Division Manager, The Westbury Hotel, Dublin Award sponsored by AVVIO. Hospitality Manager of the Year 2012 - CPD (Continuous Professional Development) Martin Beirne, Training & Development Manager, Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa, Galway Award sponsored by IITD, Irish Institute of Training and Development Enrolment in to the College of Fellows Mary Hall FIHI, Fáilte Ireland, The National Tourism Development Authority.

Paul Gallagher FIHI- Buswells Hotel, Dublin Clare Macleod FIHI, Tourism Ireland Margaret Byrnes FIHI, Red D Lifetime Achievement Award Brian Fahy L. FIHI, Owner Action Recruitment

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AWARDS

Douglas Jordan, IHI, Brian Fahy and Fergal O’Connell, IHI president

Hospitality Graduate of the Year 2012 Rory Rooney, Galway Mayo Institute of Technology Award sponsored by Classic Drinks Ltd.

Young Hospitality Manager of the Year 2012 Derek McConnell, Assistant Beverage Manager, Compass Group Ireland Award Sponsored by Fáilte Ireland

Hospitality Manager of the Year 2012 - Human Resources Sarah Marr, Group Human Resources Manager, PREM Group Award sponsored by Noel Recruitment

Hospitality Manager of the Year 2012‚ Environmental Mark Duffy, Chief Engineer, Radisson Blu St Helens Hotel, Dublin Award sponsored by EPA Environmental Protection Agency.

Hospitality Manager of the Year 2012, Rooms/Revenue Division Aidan Dempsey, Rooms Division Manager, The Westbury Hotel, Dublin Award sponsored by AVVIO.

Hospitality Manager of the Year 2012, CPD (Continuous Professional Development) Martin Beirne, Training & Development Manager, Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa, Galway Award sponsored by IITD, Irish Institute of Training and Development

Hospitality Manager of the Year 2012 - Catering Noeleen Fox, Food Services Site Manager, ARAMARK at Oracle Award sponsored by Unilever Foodsolutions

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POULTRY

At the heart of the local community Speaking at Bord Bia’s recent Poultry and Eggs: Developing Opportunites in a Demanding Environment conference, Bord Bia’s Poultry Sector Manager, David Owens, outlined plans to intensify television marketing and promotions to assist the industry’s growth as we face another challenging year ahead.

“With almost 95 per cent of all poultry and egg producer members of the Bord Bia Quality Assurance Scheme, a strong and resilient home market is critically important for the success of the industry. Since 2006, consumer awareness of Bord Bia’s Quality Mark has grown from 62 per cent to over 90 per cent this year.”

In Ireland, consumption of poultry meat accounts for 33 per cent of total meat consumed and at 25.7kg per capita per annum, Ireland represents one of the highest levels of consumption in Europe.

Meanwhile, as Bord Bia predicts another tough year for the poultry sector due to high feed costs, Silver Hill Foods in North Monaghan is gearing itself towards growing the business in Ireland by introducing a new look to its duck products.

“ We are trying to encourage people to try new things and to eliminate the fear factor often associated with cooking duck at home

Silver Hill Foods Innovation With Silver Hill Foods due to launch a reinvention of its branding early in the new year, the family owned duck company is living up to the “vision, innovation and energy” described by Jenny Eustace, Silver Hill’s Business Development Manager.

As the Irish consumer is now more aware of the importance of buying Irish than ever before, a primary focus of Silver Hill’s rebranding is to encourage people to include duck products in their grocery shopping.

“We are trying to encourage people to try new things and to eliminate the fear factor often associated with cooking duck at home,” says Barry Cullen, Head of Sales at Silver Hill Foods.

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Celebrating 50 years in business this year, Silver Hill which is renowned for the quality duck and duck products it supplies to outlets in Ireland and worldwide, has an output of 50,000 to 60,000 ducks on a weekly basis.

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POULTRY

Although duck was traditionally a Christmas bird of choice in Ireland in the past, current statistics indicate that turkey, ham, or a combination of both comprise 84 per cent of the top five Christmas meats.

However, Silver Hill duck does have an edge over the more popular poultry products cooked in homes around the country, as according to Good Food Ireland, “If you’ve ever tasted Silver Hill Foods’ wonderful and unique Peking Duck, you’ll know that they deserve every accolade they receive. All their hand-reared ducks are processed in their facilities in Emyvale. They are fed on a natural diet, without any additives, then air chilled without any added water. The result is meat that is succulent, tender and full of flavour.”

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100% Natural and Irish As Aidan Cotter, Chief Executive of Bord Bia, says “the poultry sector is possibly the most dynamic in terms of evolving and meeting the challenges it faces today.”

Silver Hill Foods will relaunch itself by highlighting the uniqueness of its product and affirming its important position at the heart of the local community in North Monaghan.

The rebranded packaging will encompass the new Silver Hill Farm logo with the words “Exclusive Irish Silver Hill Duck - Fresh from the family farm & fed on a natural diet.”

Barry Cullen is optimistic that duck can become as popular a choice for home cooking as any other poultry product. “30 or 40 years ago, duck was a staple food in Ireland and as it is as affordable as any other protein, we will strive to reintroduce it to the Irish dinner table.”

As well-known chefs around the country are including Silver Hill duck on their menus, diners are getting a flavour for this unique dish and this taste experience sparks the consumer’s desire to cook duck at home.

The success of the Duck for Two dish on chef Paul Flynn’s menu in his restaurant, The Tannery, in Dungarvan is testament to how the renowned Silver Hill duck is so well perceived. “Silver Hill’s attention to detail is 100 per cent and the product speaks for itself - it is superb,” says the talented restaurateur.

30 or 40 years ago, duck was a staple food in Ireland and as it is as affordable as any other protein, we will strive to reintroduce it to the Irish dinner table

With Silver Hill Foods continually working to grow the brand at home and abroad, Barry Cullen says “the company’s association with groups like Pallas Foods, along with chefs using our product and saying good things,” are key to the success of the business.

The new Silver Hill Farm packaging places a renewed focus on their duck as the 100 per cent natural product of a hugely successful business that is at the heart of the North Monaghan community.

The economic downturn has certainly resulted in an increased consumer awareness that buying Irish is best, so Silver Hill Foods is moving forward with its efforts to grow business at home at a good time; and hopefully the company’s marketing of the new Silver Hill Farm brand will result in families choosing duck as an alternative to the usual poultry ingredients found in the Irish kitchen.

Caroline Leddy H&RT DECEMBER ‘12/JANUARY ‘13

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AWARDS

Portmagee is Ireland’s First National Tourism Town County Kerry fishing village is Ireland’s overall ‘Tourism Town’ as inaugural Fáilte Ireland Award announced

Fáilte Ireland recently announced that Portmagee was the first ever winner of the National Tourism Towns Awards. The County Kerry village was chosen from a shortlist of ten top tourism towns - the remainder receiving certificates of merit to acknowledge their own performances.

The Tourism Towns Award was designed

by Fáilte Ireland to promote those Irish towns and villages which are working hardest to enhance their appeal to tourists visiting their local area. As the overall winner, Portmagee received its winning certificate along with a €10,000 grant towards developing itself as a tourism destination. The other nine short-listed towns received €1,000 grants to accompany their certificates of merit.

The other shortlisted towns were: • Ballyvaughan, Co Clare • Clonakilty, Co Cork • Dundalk, Co Louth • Ennis, Co Clare • Kilkenny, Co Kilkenny • Killarney, Co Kerry • Letterkenny, Co Donegal • Trim, Co Meath • Westport, Co Mayo 44

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This new award was piloted as part of the National Tidy Towns Competition. All the towns which finished among the top 100 Tidy Towns in last year’s competition were deemed to have met the basic criteria for eligibility and were invited to take part in this new tourism award scheme. Following a long-listing process, 46 towns were chosen for assessment. A panel of independent assessors, as well as a team of ‘secret shoppers’ visited the town to measure their tourism performance and the level of welcome to visitors.

Minister of State for Tourism & Sport Michael Ring congratulated Portmagee on winning the first year of the competition. “This is a great award, and Portmagee is a great town. Portmagee is a deserving winner, and has made huge strides in terms of tourism in recent years. This award will do much to put Portmagee even more firmly on the map. I also want to congratulate Fáilte Ireland for devising this award, which is just the sort of initiative we need to further promote domestic and international tourism in Ireland.”

Portmagee The judges found the sense of place in Portmagee to be palpable with its location facing Valencia Island making it unique. Its rich and colourful history is well recognised and the village’s tradition of fishing is evident at every turn. This translates into a seafood ethic which is important and local restaurants provide a superb service in facilitating the needs of visitors seeking good food and drink.

The judges were also struck by the enthusiasm of the local community with a wide array of tourism projects embarked upon by locals. The Portmagee approach is one of hard work and cooperation within all the various sectors in the community and these have resulted in creating a place that is very special to residents and visitors.

The judges also noted the importance of the local Skellig Experience Interpretative Centre as well as the attraction of local wildlife, cliff walks, flora and

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AWARDS

fauna and landscapes which feature strongly in the visitor experience to be had.

Retail outlets offer a wide selection of souvenirs including local craft and the village boasts of its own chocolate factory.

Most of all, the town boasts a great community spirit. The local Community Hall is a vital ingredient in the promotion of tourism and is used extensively all year round to facilitate the expectations of visitors and locals.

Congratulating Portmagee, Chairman of Fáilte Ireland, Redmond O’ Donoghue said: “I would like to commend all the community in Portmagee for winning the

inaugural Fáilte Ireland National Tourism Town award. Your unity of approach, passion and innovation shone through in your commitment to tourism and visitors.

“I would also like to congratulate the other members of our top ten towns. You are all examples of what can be achieved in tourism when all the local elements are aligned with a common purpose. We always envisaged this new award as recognition for those Irish towns and villages which are working hardest to make Ireland even more attractive for tourists invaluable work which also benefits their communities and the local economy. I hope that the towns and villages recognised today will inspire other communities across Ireland to take similar steps.”

The Tourism Town award focuses on how participating towns have developed their local area in the following key tourism areas: • Sense of Place - How the town tells its own unique story to visitors, what’s special about it, and what distinguishes it from other towns.

• Local Involvement - How the local community works together to provide an authentic visitor experience.

• Tourism Products Available - What the town has to offer visitors.

• Development and promotion of the town - How the town takes a unified approach to marketing and developing the town into a “tourism town”.

Shaun Quinn, CEO of Fáilte Ireland, emphasising the essential characteristics of a tourism town, commended all today’s towns for ticking all the right boxes: “When visitors arrive at a town in Ireland, they are curious and they like to know the backstory to their destination. Does this town have a colourful history? What makes this place different? What is the essence of this town? These towns have shown, in the way that they present themselves, that they have answered this question in a compelling and attractive fashion.

“Crucially, these towns have also shown a high degree of local involvement in - and passion for - tourism. In many ways, tourism is too important to be left just to tourism businesses. Indeed, tourism should be the business of everybody as everyone benefits in the local economy from increased visitors and tourism revenue. As these towns have shown, true ‘Tourism Towns’ are important economic engines for a local economy.”

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EXHIBITION

Things are hotting up for Catex 2013

The nation’s foodservice supremos are all soon to gather at the RDS, Dublin for the premier event in the industry calendar CATEX 2013. Taking place from 19th - 21st February 2013, Organised by IFSA*, CATEX is not just an exhibition - it is a showcase for the newest and most innovative in the industry, a platform for comment and debate and a stage to host the most thrilling and hotly contested competitions in our industry.

The who’s who of the industry…

Sponsored by CALOR and BUNZL, some of the biggest names in foodservice in Ireland are showing their support by taking part in CATEX 2013 and indeed in recognising it as the industry hotspot that it is - a three-day meeting of the key industry players and savvy innovators all gathering to exchange ideas, showcase their products and services and ultimately boost their businesses. Included on the list of mainstream exhibitors confirmed to take part are Monin/Food Solutions, Coppingers, Derry Combico, Unilever, Donnelly Group, BD Foods, Nisbets, Bunzl, Calor Gas, Total Produce, Milano Coffee, United Coffee, Bewleys, Marco Beverage 46

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Systems, Matthew Algie, Hugh Jordan, Facelift, Keelings and Pallas Foods to name just a few.

Coffee & Cocktails at Catex - the competitions In its role as both a showcase and a platform for the industry, CATEX is the stage for a wide variety of National and International Foodservice skills competitions. At CATEX the finals of many culinary and other Foodservice Skills competitions are given the profile and wide audience that they deserve. Organised and run by the Bartenders Association of Ireland and sponsored by Edward Dillon & Co Ltd, the National Cocktail Competition is open to all bartenders working in Ireland. The competition places emphasis on product knowledge, technical skills, creativity and personality across a variety of cocktail making disciplines. The winner of the title of National Cocktail Champion will represent their country in the World Cocktail Competition in 2013 will take place in Prague, Czech Republic in August 2013.

Meanwhile the National Barista Championships, sponsored by Avonmore are staged by the Specialty Coffee Association of Europe in Ireland. The finalists of this year’s Avonmore Irish Barista Championships and Latte Art Competitions finalists will battle it out to secure the top national titles at CATEX 2013. The winner of the Latte Art competition will then go on to compete for the title of World Latte Art Champion at the SCAE World of Coffee event in Nice 2013 while the National Barista Champion will compete for the title of World Barista Champion in Melbourne, Australia in 2013.

Chef Ireland at Catex 2013 Organised by The Panel of Chefs of Ireland, Chef Ireland at CATEX is a key feature of the show dedicated to showcasing the excellence in culinary skill that exists in this country. Chef Ireland stages a host of exciting competitions amongst the cream of Irish talent as they battle it out in the spotlight with a love audience and under the intense pressure that is so synonymous with the profession.

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EXHIBITION

With competitions spanning both junior/college and senior levels and across varying disciplines, visitors will see the competitors participating in everything from the Irish Potato Open Class and the Omelette Challenge to the Open Class Chicken Sauté and the Masters Challenges while the Cold Salon will feature intricate buffet skills in pastry & sugar work which us very specialised and a thrill to watch in action.

With the kitchens sponsored by Stephens Catering Equipment, Chef Ireland hosts the official National Senior Chef of the Year and Junior Chef of the Year competitions and this year will also feature for the first time, The Hospital Chef of the Year. Also running for the first time will be The Gastro Pub of the Year contest.

As always the winner of the National Senior Chef of the Year will go on to compete on an international level for their country. The winner at CATEX 2013 will travel to Sweden next May to represent Ireland in the European heat of the Global Chef of the Year.

Chef’s Choice CATEX is proud to announce the introduction of Chef’s Choice @ CATEX 2013.

Chefs Choice will be a dedicated area of the show featuring a cherry-picked gathering of artisan food & beverage suppliers who will showcase and sample their products for the industry.

Sponsored by IFSA, Chef’s Choice is designed to create the opportunity for chefs in the industry to experience some of the most exciting and innovative Irish products emerging on the market in one key location at the show. It is also the opportunity for these small to medium enterprises to avail of the rare chance to meet key chefs/buyers in the industry and generate new business leads. The selected few exhibitors for this section include: Coole Farm Foods, Couverture Desserts, Crossogue Preserves, Empire Donuts Ltd, Featherbed Farm Foods, Jack & Keith Molloy Bros Ltd, Kilbeg Dairy Delights, Kilmore Quay Fine Foods, Killowen Farm Yogurt, Kookee, LivFree, McCloskey Bakery, NewGrange Gold, O’Neill Dry Cure Bacon Co, Paddy O’s Granola, The Radical Food Co., Solaris Botanicals.

The Green Pavillion at Catex 2013 - Energy, water & waste management Another new feature for 2013, the GREEN Pavilion @ CATEX 2013 is the perfect opportunity to meet some of the leading suppliers of environmental products and services available in Ireland today. Visitors will learn how their businesses can increase efficiencies, improve environmental performance, reduce costs and give staff a cleaner and safer working environment. The GREEN Pavilion will host a number of free seminars over the 3-day programme, offering a great opportunity to find out about new products and technologies on the market, learn about industry best practice and keep up-to-date with the latest developments in the sector.

Amongst some of the products and services on display at The Green Pavilion will be: Balers & Shredders, Compactors, Drain Cleaning, Food Composters, Glass Crushers, Grease-trap Services, Energy Management & Control, Environmental Equipment Supply & Distribution, Leak Detection, Pollution Control, Rainwater Harvesting, Recycling Bins & Containers, Recycling Services & Technology, Sludge Treatment, Waste Collection Services (all types), Waste Minimisation, Wastewater Treatment Technology, Water Conservation and Water Monitoring Technology

Hospitality heroes at Catex 2013 This February at CATEX, IFSA along with Hotel & Catering Review magazine will host a series of forums and workshops with leading hospitality operators, delving behind the scenes to find out what makes their businesses so successful. The forums will centre on a series of essential topics for thriving in business today - from innovating and creating a new market in the foodservice sector, to building a successful brand and generating lucrative repeat business.

The business-boosting workshops will run over the three days of CATEX where Ireland’s top hospitality entrepreneurs will share their recipes for success and give insight into how foodservice operations can flourish in a challenging economic climate.

On the schedule of topics for these forums/workshops will be: Healthy Eating Caterers Role in the Obesity Battle; Trendsetters - Innovating in the Restaurant Industry; Irish on the Menu - Developing our Culinary Identity; Creating Loyalty Generating Repeat Business; Brand Building - Creating a Successful Brand and Going Social - Using Social Media to Increase Business Make the most of the trip – book a room…

For visitors and exhibitors looking to make the most of their visit over the three days the CATEX team have negotiated discounted accommodation rate at Bewley’s Hotel, Leopardstown .

For rates as low as: €69 Room Only €75 B&B Single Occupancy €80 B&B Double/Twin Occupancy simply quote ‘Catex13’ when booking via reservations.leopardstown@bewleyshotel. com or call direct on +353(0) 1 2935000. If required, exhibitors can also can avail of a private bus transfer to the RDS from Bewley’s Hotel, Leopardstown during CATEX. (Please note the cut-off date for availing of the accommodation rate is the 4th of January 2013).

CATEX is for every business relying on the foodservice sector and welcomes visitors from hotels; restaurants, cafes/snack bars/takeaways; bakeries; pubs/clubs/wine bars; franchise operators; contract caterers; forecourt caterers; in-store caterers; leisure/sports centers; wholesalers; cash & carrys; wholesalers; architects/specifiers; interior designers; researchers; furnishing/furniture outlets; travel caterers; healthcare caterers; education caterers; public sector caterers and more. www.catexexhibition.com

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WINE

France battles trends and elements Frank Corr looks at a crisis in the world’s biggest wine producing country France is King when it comes to producing wines of the highest quality and despite challenges from competitors in both the Old and New Worlds, its position remains secure.

Behind the aristocracy of the Chateaux and Domains however, lies an industry in some disarray which has, at its heart, a cooling love affair between the people of France and their own wines. As French consumers develop a taste for beers and spirits and their lifestyles militate against drinking alcohol during the day, their purchases of wines have been falling steadily for almost 40 years and dropped by a further 3% between 2007 and 2010.

And then there is the growing presence in the wine market of competitors from Spain and the New World. Of course the French continue to enjoy the highest levels of wine consumption in the world, quaffing 45.7 litres per capita last year. By comparison we Irish drank 18 litres per capita and the ‘world champion’ in this league is Vatican City with per capita consumption of 70 litres in 2009. The dependence of a large section of the French wine industry on the large home market however means that a small percentage drop translates into thousands of unsold gallons of wine and the continuous decline in this market has wreaked havoc in the South of France particularly, where winegrowers are availing of relatively small EU grants to pull up their vines and exit the market.

“ Behind the aristocracy of the Chateaux and Domains however, lies an industry in some disarray which has, at its heart, a cooling love affair between the people of France and their own wines

It is easy to understand why they are doing so. According to Ministry of Agriculture figures, average yearly revenues (after basic running costs but before owners pay themselves a wage) range from an average of €11,000 in the Languedoc to €25,000 in the Loire and Aquitaine. Alsace and Burgundy do better at around €50,000 and then there are the

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Traditional wine press at La Roche in Chablis

aristocrat growers of Champagne whose annual income is around €125,000. Nor is annual income steady. A 2011 study by Parisian insurance consultant Luc Boucher on behalf of Vigneron Indépendant, found that yearly vineyard incomes across France typically fluctuate by as much as 40% from year to year, making long-range planning and control of cash-flow increasingly difficult.

As if falling domestic sales were not enough, French wine growers are also feeling the effects of austerity with banks unwilling to loan money to small businesses - a practice which is all too familiar to Irish hoteliers and restaurateurs.

As they face into a New Year, French wine growers are also looking back at a 2012 harvest which has been exceptionally difficult. Wine production may slump 20 percent to the lowest leval in 40 years after unfavourable weather and disease damaged vines and grapes. Output in the Champagne region is predicted to show the biggest drop. Production is forecast to slide to 40.6 million hectoliters from 50.9 million hectoliters in 2011. France’s vineyards suffered from cold and wet conditions during flowering, damage from mildew and other funguses, hail storms that destroyed grapes in Burgundy and Beaujolais, an August heat wave and a dry September that caused drought stress and resulted in smaller grapes, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.

Despite this ‘annus horrabilis’ the French wine industry remains buoyant, particularly on export markets. France exported wine and champagne valued at €7.71bn. in 2011, accounting for 13 percent of the country’s farm and food exports. In the first half of 2012, wine shipments rose 14 percent to €3.57bn. This is no mean achievement and is based on centuries of wine-making tradition, an unrivalled appreciation of ‘terroir’, consistent quality and a new found interest in modern marketing techniques. France produces more fine wines than any other country and the high average price of its exported wines boosts the overall revenue figure considerably. While farmers in Languedoc may struggle to earn €1 a bottle for their wines on the domestic market, the great houses of Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne can sell individual bottles for several hundred euro.

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WINE France has also been a pioneer in guaranteeing the origin and quality of its wines through the Appelation Controlee system and this long-established consumer guarantee code has been updated in 2012. The new system consists of three categories rather than four, since there is now no category corresponding to VDQS. The new categories are: • Vin de France, a table wine category basically replacing Vin de Table, but allowing grape variety and vintage to be indicated on the label.

• Indication Géographique Protégée (IGP), an intermediate category basically replacing Vin de Pays.

• Appellation d’Origine Protégée (AOP), the highest category basically replacing AOC wines.

The largest change is in the Vin de France category, and to VDQS wines, which either need to qualify as AOP wines or be downgraded to an IGP category. For the former AOC wines, the move to AOP only mean minor changes to the terminology of the label, while the actual names of the appellations themselves remain unchanged.

While no new wines will be marketed under the old designations from 2012, bottles already in the distribution chain will not be relabelled.

France is also among the few wine nations of the world in which the individual regions are as well known as the country of origin. While consumers talk about Chile, New Zealand, Australia or South Africa, they discuss Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rhone, Loire or Champagne rather than France.

The recognized wine producing areas in France are regulated by the Institut National des Appellations d’Origine. Every appellation in France is defined by INAO with reference to the individual regions particular wine “character”. If a wine fails to meet the INAO’s strict criteria it is declassified into a lower appellation. There are hundreds of Appellations which originate in the principal wine-producing regions.

Alsace is primarily a white-wine region situated in eastern France on the river Rhine and borders Germany, with which it shares many grape varieties as well as a long tradition of varietal labelling. Grapes grown in Alsace include Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, and Muscat.

Beaujolais red-wines are generally made from the Gamay grape. It is situated in central East of France following the river Saone below Burgundy and above Lyon.

It produces Beaujolais, Brouilly, Fleurie, Saint-Amour, Chénas, Juliénas, Morgon and Moulin-a-Vent.

Bordeaux is a large region on the Atlantic coast, famous for the wines Château Lafite-Rothschild, Château Latour, Château Mouton-Rothschild, Château Margaux and Château Haut-Brion from the Médoc sub-region; Château Cheval Blanc and Château Ausone in Saint-Émilion and Château Pétrus and Château Le Pin in Pomerol. The red wines produced are usually blended, from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Bordeaux also makes dry and sweet white wines, including Château d’Yquem.

Burgundy or Bourgogne in eastern France is a region where red and white wines are equally important. Probably more terroir-conscious than any other region, Burgundy is divided into the largest number of appellations of any French region.

The region includes Cote de Nuits (from Marsannay-La-Cote down to Nuits-Saint-

Dom Perignon - Champagne retains its position and value

Georges), Cote de Beaune (from north of Beaune to Santenay), Cote Chalonnais and Maconnais Chablis is halfway between Côte d’Or and Paris, where white wines are produced on chalky soil giving a more crisp and steely style than the rest of Burgundy.

Champagne Champagne, situated in eastern France, close to Belgium and Luxembourg, is the coldest of France’s major wine regions and home to its major sparkling wine.

Languedoc-Roussillon is the largest region in terms of vineyard surface and production, hence the region in which much of France’s cheap bulk wines have been produced. It is also the home of innovative producers who are influenced by the New World. Much LanguedocRoussillon wine is sold as Vin de Pays d’Oc. Loire valley is a primarily white-wine region that stretches over a long distance along the Loire River in central and western France, and where grape varieties and wine styles vary along the river. Sub-regions include Upper Loire is known for its Sancerre, Touraine which is home to Vouvray Anjou-Saumur and Muscadet.

“ France is also among

the few wine nations

of the world in which the individual

regions are as well

known as the country of origin

Provence, in the south-east is the warmest wine region of France and produces mainly rosé and red wine.

Rhone Valley, primarily a red-wine region along the Rhône River. The styles and varietal composition of northern and southern Rhône differ, but both parts produce wines of high quality.

As the French wines industry approaches 2013 with hope for better weather and confidence in its new classification system, a straw in the wind might be the interest of Chinese investors in acquiring trophy estates. Late in 2012, the chateau producing Napoleon’s favourite red wine, which is one of Burgundy’s most prized vineyards, was sold to a Chinese gambling tycoon, leading to dire warnings from local growers of a ‘foreign invasion’ of mainly Asian investors who have already bought 20 Chateaux around Bordeaux. If this happens, we could see much of the most famous wine in the world taking a ‘Slow Boat to China’.

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NEW BAR

Time to marvel at the new Marble Bar!

The Westbury Hotel recently launched its newly re-designed Marble Bar, creating a sophisticated and glamorous cocktail venue in the heart of Dublin. At the launch guests sampled some of the signature dishes and cocktails that will further establish the hotel as a must visit venue.

The guests were welcomed by Pat King CEO and Edward Stephenson General Manger and encouraged to become regular visitors to the Marble bar in the future.

A member of The Doyle Collection, and no doubt one of its crown jewels, The Westbury Hotel is one of Dublin’s star properties situated in an enviable location just off Grafton Street, in Dublin’s most fashionable cultural and shopping quarter.

The Hotel is also a member of Leading Hotels of the World and a remarkable landmark of luxury, The Westbury Hotel offers sumptuous, custom-designed furnishings in all of its 205 stylishly appointed bedrooms.The Doyle Collection’s flagship hotel is one of Dublin’s most popular meeting places and the newly re-designed Marble Bar is the perfect place to enjoy fine wines, champagne, and an inspired cocktail menu. This iconic property has continued 50

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to reinvest in its offering and there are plans for further refurbishments during 2013.

Combining an elegant ambience with a dash of cocktail inspired theatre, the Marble Bar’s team, led by resident Mixology Master, Julian Escobar, invites guests to experience an innovative array of cocktails served amidst stylish mid-century décor.

Julian Escobar is a devotee to the rich tradition of hand-crafted cocktails and this can be seen in his personal creations such as The Westbury Hotel’s signature cocktail, thePearltini, and the many great recipes he uses for infusions. The Pearltini is a mix of gin, midoriliquer, parfait liquor and lime juice infused with jasmine pearl tea, garnished with blueberries. Those looking for a modern spin on a classic will enjoy the Chilli Martini with citrus vodka, infused with Jalapeño chilli and lemon grass, or the delicious Westbury Mojito made with Havana Club 7 year rum, lime wedges and mint leaves mixed with a choice of fresh strawberries, raspberries or apple.

The Marble Bar’s tempting cocktails are matched with a carefully selected lightbites menu, featuring light appetisers, such as crispy prawn wontons, mini slider burgers, handmade sushi, classic croque monsieur, and a delectable canapé selection.

The addition of a marble & travertine fireplace has broadened the bar’s appeal as an all-day space that can transform into a buzzy and intimate cocktail bar in the evening. A warm and inviting colour scheme using toffee and tan shades with jewel coloured highlights all combine to deliver an atmospheric and glamorous interior.

Commenting on the refurbishment, Edward Stephenson, General Manager of The Westbury Hotel, said: “Today marks the rebirth of the Marble Bar. The elegant refurbishment is intended to re-position the Marble Bar as Dublin’s most luxurious cocktail bar. We look forward to welcoming discerning Irish and international guests to the Marble Bar, and providing them with an unforgettable experience.”

About The Westbury Hotel Visit www.doylecollection.com or call +353 (0)1 697 1122 to make a reservation.

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