President’s Report – December 2025

Dear Members,

Welcome to your December Newsletter.

Today, the first of December, marked a significant day for the tourism sector and another clear win for the association with the launch of the new Tourism Strategy which has a key focus on food tourism. We were pleased to see a renewed focus on Food Tourism within the strategy having lobbied hard for its reinstatement as a key component to Irish tourism. It is welcome to see that as a priority a new Culinary Tourism Strategy will be prepared to focus on elevating the quality of Ireland’s culinary offering. This commitment reflects long standing calls from the Association to place food and hospitality at the centre of Ireland’s tourism identity.

Ireland’s culinary scene has grown into one of the country’s greatest cultural strengths, shaped by world-class chefs, dedicated producers and a strong network of food businesses. I believe that a strong focus on food tourism will enhance the visitor experience, lengthen stays and support local economies in every county.

Our country’s culinary scene is among the best in the world, and our restaurants, cafés and gastropubs are at the heart of that story.

Last month, both Adrian Cummins and I travelled to Brussels for European Hospitality Day. During this trip, we met with officials from the European Commission’s Tourism Unit to discuss the Irish food tourism sector and potential ways to collaborate. We also met with various MEPs to address this and other key policy issues impacting the sector.

As we enter the final month of the year and move into the festive period, I want to thank you for your support over the past year. Without our members we simply cannot represent the sector. This year has shown the strength of the Restaurants Association and what we can achieve together. I look forward to working with you all again in the coming year. As always ahead of the festive period if the team can be of any assistance to you, please do reach out.

Wishing you all a happy Christmas and New Year, and a strong end to 2025.

Yours sincerely,

Seán Collender 

President

Restaurants Association of Ireland