This year’s event, at the ever popular Mount Juliet, was another outstanding success, with an absolutely full time sheet. The weather was ideal for golf and the Woodprint Craft team led off the 40 teams shortly after 9.00am and posted the longest drive of over 300 yards by Peter Piggot playing off 5 handicap.

As the scores came in all day and into the evening it looked like 97 points from ICC Bank and Gilbeys of Ireland, followed closely by Musgraves, would lead the field home. However, helped by a hole in one at the 3rd by Jack Duffy, Imperial Hotels upped the ante to 100 points at 9.00pm. They were outdone by Coca-Cola with a card of 101 points handed in at dusk. Congratulations to Jim Whelan, Ray Williams, Frank Slattery and Alf Tolan on this magnificent win. The nines were won by Choice Hotels and the popular visitors from Northern Ireland, the Dunadry Hotel Team. The Merrion Hotel won the Water Holes and Nearest the Pin, which was won by Brian Farrell, who was only six inches away from another hole in one! Vera Madden won the Ladies Longest Drive.

The non-winners prize draw later in the evening was very successful with several players from the four Northern Ireland teams winning prizes. The IHF wishes to thank all members and associate members and their supporters for entering teams. The date for next year is already set for 24th June, 2002.

Sincere thanks go to Beamish and Crawford for their continued generosity in sponsoring the event and to Gilbeys of Ireland for sponsoring the wines at dinner.

In 1993 the EU Member States agreed to introduce new requirements for food businesses. Based on HACCP principles, businesses were obliged to develop their own control systems. Whilst the law was introduced in 1995, many countries still haven’t convinced small businesses in the service sector to adopt a food safety self control system. Most agree that using HACCP is beneficial but can it be used effectively by small to medium businesses who are understaffed and resourced to develop their own complicated systems?

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has a dual role, it must ensure the law is enforced, and it must foster and encourage a food safety culture for consumer protection. The FSAI’s main objective is to see that industry adopts the correct approach as it is in their customers’ interests. The FSAI has access to only a limited number of official inspectors to police the 40,000 food businesses in Ireland, the majority of which are in the small to medium category. The FSAI’s role should be to promote the adoption of HACCP and audit the systems to allow businesses to continually improve their food safety self control regimes.

Confusion exists about what HACCP is and the current legal requirements. Despite the argument to revoke the legal obligation of HACCP for small business, HACCP or HACCP like requirements are here to stay. How does the FSAI improve the capability of small food business to understand and implement such a system? Small businesses in Ireland, including hotels, have shown that implementation of HACCP is possible and useful, but does however require time and effort.

A recent survey on HACCP in the food sector in Ireland was conducted to establish how Ireland has performed in adopting this system. Based on the results, the FSAI will propose a practical strategy to assist the food sector using a food safety tool which can work to mutual benefit of the food industry and consumers. The FSAI intends to make a concerted effort to assist the hotel and catering sector in understanding and implementing HACCP.

It’s always useful when breaking news adds topicality to a subject and that’s just what happened before a recent series of workshops that Peter McCourt presented. Several of the major search engines had just announced fundamental changes in the way in which they listed sites.

For years the search engines made their money by carrying advertising on websites. They were keen to list as many web sites as possible because the more sites that were in a search engine’s catalogue, the more people would use it. The result was that they were glad to list any sites that were submitted. However they experienced trouble, fewer and fewer web users are clicking on banner adverts. Five years ago, one person in twenty who saw a banner ad would click on it; now it’s dropped to below one in a 100. Advertisers saw a fall-off in sales from banner adverts on the search engine pages and search engine companies subsequently saw a similar fall in the number of advertisers. The result being search engine companies had to look to other methods of generating income.

Since the search engines’ main activity is providing a source to search sites, there are only two areas that can produce significant income: organisations with listed sites and people searching lists of sites — the search engines chose the former resulting in organisations having to pay to get listed on major search engines.

They have introduced a range of payment systems. Some charge to list a page or pages although, even here, there is a difference between the one-off payment methods and renewable annual fees. Others invite advertisers to bid for placement — paying to have a site listed when a particular word is used as part of a search; advertisers pay every time that their site is listed and the more they pay for each listing, the closer they get to the top of the list.

As an example, if a proprietor is prepared to pay $0.90 every time someone types the word "hotel" into the Go.com search engine, their site will appear at the top of the list. And that’s guaranteed — or at least it’s guaranteed until someone is prepared to pay $0.91 each time and then they will have to decide whether to increase their bid or see their site slip down the listings.

It is yet to be seen if this new approach by the search engines is going to work. One might assume that most people would prefer to use a search engine that lists as many different sites as it can, rather than one that limited its lists to those that are willing to pay. If that turns out to be the case, the pay-to-list search engines will have fewer users which, in turn, will mean that web site owners will be less willing to pay to be listed on them.

There’s the prospect of a rapid downward spiral for such search engines if that happens. A feature article in the July Inn-Site e-zine, which goes out to Inn-Site subscribers, will have more details about the different pay-to-list search engines and In-site by providing up-dated information and advice as the situation changes over the coming months. There are also useful tips such as how to get listed in the web pages section of Yahoo without paying the $99 charge that they’ve introduced for placing a site in their directory.

Proprietors who haven’t subscribed to Inn-Site are missing out on a great deal of essential information about how to promote a web site — Lorna McNamara, IHF, will be glad to send details of how to sign up and benefit from this service which is exclusive to IHF members.

Peter can be contacted at petermcc@inn-site.net

The Irish Hotels Federation’s new web site – irelandhotels.com is now live and features over 1,000 hotels and guesthouses as listed in the Be Our Guest guide. The new site has improved search and navigation facilities and also includes details on golf, angling and conference facilities as well as a Special Offers Section and detailed mapping for each premises.

The Online Reservation System is an exciting development on irelandhotels.com and means that all premises listed on the site can be booked online, including the special offers which are featured on the site. It also enables hotels and guesthouses to use the same reservation system on their own web site to encourage direct bookings.

A series of workshops were held around the country recently to provide hotels and guesthouses with information and training on the new site with particular emphasis on the Online Reservation System.

The workshops were held in Dublin, Cork, Killarney and Waterford from the 30th July – 2nd August, and in Sligo, Belfast and Ennis from the 14th – 16th August. Attendance at all the workshops was excellent and the feedback has been positive with premises quickly signing-up to the Online reservation System.

GETTING EURO CASH IN TIME: -

The first series of IHF Euro Awareness Workshops has just been completed and was a great success. One of the significant factors identified during these workshops was the need to make contact with local banks and plan for the amount of euro change required for early 2002. This is particularly relevant now as over 42,000 retailers nationwide will be getting notice from Forfas in the near future of the need to have the euro change order in place.

While this may seem alarmist just stop for a few minutes and imagine the impact of having NO change for customers and how this would affect your business. In addition to this there would be little opportunity within the early days of 2002 to get euro coin from the alternative supply sources.

A big question is how much euro cash will be needed, as there will be little or no churning on euro coinage in early 2002 ‘you will be charging your customers only in euro from 1st January 2002 and giving change back only in euro’. Banks will assist you in calculating the amount of euro cash needed, or there is also a software tool called eurofloat available from Forfas or Euro Changeover Board web sites. A tendency is that with so much time between now and e-day businesses will leave the task of meeting with their bank to discuss your euro cash requirements to the last minute – don’t, do it now.

Some facts regarding the booking of euro cash in advance of 1st January 2002, from banks: -

• Euro cash acquired before 1st January 2002 will be available free of bank cash handling charges. All euro cash after 1st January will incur the normal bank cash handling charges.
• Businesses can agree a mutually agreeable time between now and 1st January for collection of euro cash.
• For euro cash and coin ordered and collected in advance of 1st January, bank accounts will not be charged until 2nd January, earliest (consult with your bank).
• Euro cash and coin collected before 1st January 2002 can be used as part of staff training.

As business have differing insurance cover, it would be advisable to contact your insurance broker after arrangements have been made with the bank for euro cash, to ensure correct insurance cover is in place.

IHF WEBSITE EURO SECTION: -

The Irish Hotels Federation website www.ihf.ie has now been updated and has a section which will be added to monthly on the euro. Among the information included on the website is an industry checklist for euro changeover. It is possible to download this file to PC for further customisation. The Euro updates for June and July are also there with a review on the state of readiness of all the major software vendors for the industry and the issues which need to be addressed as part of a Euro Changeover Plan.

BECOME A PARTY TO IHF’S CODE OF PRACTICE: -

The web site also has a full copy of the IHF Euro Code of Practice. The Irish Hotels Federation in conjunction with IBEC agreed and published this Code of Practice for the changeover from Irish pounds to the Euro last year. A copy was circulated to all IHF members at that time, an exercise repeated earlier this year. Members were invited to become a party to this code of practice by signing the agreement form at the back of the publication. This would include members in a high profile list of establishments agreeing to abide by the Code of Practice, registered with the Director of Consumer Affairs and available through different sources. A copy of the agreement is available within this section of the IHF web site and it includes an application form for becoming a party to this Code of Practice.

Hotel and guesthouses proprietors are urged to now become party to this Code of Practice. For further assistance please contact the IHF Head Offices.

IHF EURO HELPLINE:-

Remember the IHF Euro helpline is now available for members:

Contact:-

e-mail: eurohelp@ihf.ie

Fax: 01-2010262

At AIB we are constantly seeking to improve the quality and competitiveness of our service to business customers. A critical element in this is for us to know the issues, concerns and requirements of our customers.

Over the last 18 months, we commissioned extensive market research among our business customers which indicated dissatisfaction with the existing package of fees and charges. The feedback highlighted business customer requirements for a simpler, more transparent suite of fees and charges based on transactions or usage. In addition, the existing package of fees and charges has been in place for almost a decade – indeed, some charges date back to the 1980’s.

We have responded to our customers’ views and comments by introducing a package which will be the most competitive in the market. The key features are:

• A simpler pricing structure
• A move towards a transaction-only charging structure
• A reduction in the charge for automated transactions from 15p to 12p (down 20%)
• An increase in the charge for paper transactions from 29p to 31p (up 7%)

We have invested significantly in technology over the past decade and large numbers of business customers are increasingly using electronic banking services. However, more costly paper-based transactions continue to dominate the payments system. The new package of fees and charges is structured to make electronic or automated banking transactions more cost effective to a wider range of customers. The new pricing structure will benefit the vast majority of customers based on their existing transactions.

There are a number of other changes in the new package of fees and charges, which are being implemented on 25th August, 2001. Full details are available from your local AIB branch. Alternatively you can call our Customer Service Helpline on 1800 206 202 (lines open Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. until 31st August 2001).

As an industry we share in the view expressed by leading economists that there are signs of slow down in the growth of the Irish economy. To maintain and sustain growth competitiveness is essential and in this context all cost increases have got to be looked at with serious concern. Our wage inflation is two and half times that of the EU average, and increased utility charges such items as waste disposal are causing concern to members. These cost increases are creating major difficulties for our business. Our already small margins are being eroded and our competitiveness is coming under threat.

A great number of challenges face our sector – we are still suffering from the effects of the Foot and Mouth disease and economic downturns in our main markets – US, Britain, France and Germany. To combat these realities, it is wise to take action now and trim down expenditure where possible to keep our business competitive. However, this must be carried out without compromising our quality product and quality service we offer customers.

There is also a need to have more concentration on niche product marketing to attract visitors. A number of regions are very successfully carrying this out, offering golfing, angling, equestrian and other activity type holidays. More of this is needed, combined with better use of Internet marketing. I would suggest that local interests throughout the country should form alliances and pool resources to jointly promote and market their areas for the 2002 season.

The thrust of the draft proposals by the Commission for Aviation Regulation on the method of calculating airport charges at Irish airports, if implemented would undoubtedly deter many potential visitors from coming to Ireland. The system being proposed is ludicrous – it does not recognise the fact that as an island nation our dependence on air access is completely different to that of other European countries. 70% of all overseas visitors to Ireland arrive and depart by air - low cost access is a key motivator for them and increasing charges at airports can only have a negative impact on whether potential visitors decide to come to our country.

As proprietors in the hotel and guesthouse industry we have been continually encouraged to invest heavily in our premises and in turn raise the standard of the Irish tourist product. We now have that high quality tourist product, which in recent years has made a major financial contribution to Ireland’s economic growth. This tourism success must be safeguarded and a major part of the safeguard is having available, efficient, low cost access to our country and within our country through regional roads and rail links. Our industry is unique in providing regional employment in every town and village in the country. As the Government wishes to decentralise and foster rural communities, protecting the tourist industry must be a priority. Ireland doesn’t have large resorts like other countries, but we do have a regional spread of attractions that makes visiting our country quite unique, creating a very positive visitor experience – but this experience is very much dependent on being able to easily travel around our country.

Deciding to visit Ireland is a decision that requires thought and planning – there is no spur of the moment jumping on a train to spend a weekend or week here. We don’t have the same infrastructure as other European neighbours who have high quality trains and roads linking countries to each other. So we need to have enhanced ‘pull factors’ to entice people. Anything that effects the cost of travelling to this country will have a direct result on visitor numbers and will further alienate Ireland as a holiday destination from the rest of Europe.