International Hotel & Restaurant Association
The voice of the hotel and hospitality industry
Based out of Lausanne Switzerland, the International Hotel & Restaurant Association represents hotel and restaurants, affiliated hospitality associations and hotel and hospitality schools. Worldwide this accounts for 50 hospitality brands in 100 countries, with 200,000 hotel properties and 6 million restaurants, providing hospitality and hotel employment for 60 million workers.
Hospitality organizations registered with the International Hotel & Association not only have access to the lobbying support and industry advocacy of the association but also the support of their fellow members. As enrolled members of the International Hotel & Restaurant Association, these hospitality organizations have access to a network of hospitality professionals that provide their collective support and industry knowledge pertaining to best hotel and hospitality management practices and programs such as the hotel worker exchange program.
Association Objectives
The IH&RA is an association of hotel, restaurant, travel, and hospitality executives that collectively monitor, support and advocate for issues relating to the interests of the hotel and restaurant industries. The main objective of the IH&RA is the representation of hoteliers against harmful regulation. The International Hotel & Restaurant Association also outlines hospitality industry standards that promote sustainability, ecologically friendly operations and fair and safe work environments for hotel and hospitality staff. These issues are addressed by:
- Monitoring issues raised by major organizations involved in travel, hospitality and tourism
- The creation of programs to serve the hospitality companies and their employment staff
- Representing the collective interests of the industry before lawmakers
- Lobbying for better recognition of hospitality and travel industries worldwide
- Lobbying against damaging regulation imposed on the hotel industry
- Formation of global councils consisting of hospitality executives to debate industry practices and startegies
The IH&RA is a leading promoter of many social, economic and environmental causes within the hospitality industry. They have formed alliances to promote causes such as the International Hospitality Worker Exchange, Protection of Children in Hospitality, and Emeraude Hotelier Certification programs.
Become an Association Member
Download the appropriate form for your hotel or hospitality organization. After completing the application, submit to to the IH&RA Headquarters by fax: +41 (0)21 711 42 85 or by e-mail: ihra@live.com
- Hotel & Restaurant Properties
- Hotel & Hospitality Associations
- Hospitality Colleges & Educational Centers
Contact International Hotel & Restaurant Association
| Phone: | +41-21-711-4283 |
| Website: | www.ih-ra.com |
| Address: | Avenue General-Guisan 42, 1009 Pully, Vaud, Switzerland |
Hotelier Programs
Emeraude Hotelier Certification
The IH&RA offers the Emeraude Hotelier Certification for hotels and resorts that practice sustainable tourism. It promotes hospitality management practices that address climate change, move to reduce carbon emissions and adhere to healthy labor and economic balances in their communities.
International Worker Exchange
The international hotel staffing program serves the hospitality industry in three major areas. First it provides income for the hotel employee and the hotel employee’s family back home. Secondly, it exposes the hospitality professional to a new culture and new hospitality practices. Lastly it assists hotel employers in high demand seasons and areas of low labor supply.
Protection of Children in Hospitality
The International Hotel & Restaurant Association collaborates with ECPAT and the World Tourism Organization on this program. It is aimed at protecting and preventing the exploitation of children in the hotel, hospitality, travel and tourism industry. It states a code of conduct where hotel management trains their hospitality staff to identify and report the abuse of children. This cause has been adopted by some of the world’s largest hotel operations such as Hilton, Wyndham and Carlson Hotels.
Foundation for the Future
The FFF (Foundation for the Future) was started by the Interantional Hotel and Restaurant association to help hospitality students learn from college professors employed by hospitality schools in other countries. The program brings these educators to hundreds of students that would otherwise not have been able to participate. The program allowed them to learn from some of the hospitality industry’s leading educators from around the world without requiring of the student any travel and lodging expenses, or needing to take away from school or their current hospitality jobs. Some of the schools that have participated are the Cornell School of Hotel Management, Ecole Hotelier Lausanne, and Johnson & Wales University
