Hotel & Restaurant Sector

Christmas cancellations cost hotels €90m in revenue

RTÉ Business – 24.11.2021

Hoteliers are reporting over €90m in lost revenues as a result of many companies cancelling events and social gatherings, according to new research by the Irish Hotels Federation. As a result, hotel and guesthouse owners are calling on the Government to provide additional supports. The IHF said in normal times, December trading sustains the first few months of the following year for many hotels and guesthouses. However, it said as a result of the recent event cancellations, the sector and broader tourism are at a "critical juncture" requiring continued Government supports at current levels

Covid-19: Hotel and restaurant owners fear latest curbs won’t be the last

Irish Times – 07.12.2021

Due to the ongoing high level of Covid-19 transmission in the community and concerns about the Omicron variant, the Government has introduced measures which mean bars and restaurants must now offer table service only, permit no more than six customers to sit at a table, prevent patrons from booking multiple tables and ensure there is a distance of at least one metre between tables. Nightclubs will also have to close, with the restrictions due to remain in place until January 9th. Adrian Cummins, Chief Executive of the Restaurants Association of Ireland, said the group’s members have seen virtually every corporate booking and Christmas party cancelled. Representatives of the sector say curbs on trading in December are particularly sensitive, as the lead-up to Christmas is a time when businesses usually record around three times the amount of business they would in a normal month.