HOTEL & RESTAURANT SECTOR

Hotels & Guesthouses saw revenues fall €2.6bn in 2020

RTÉ Business – 07.01.2021
Hotels and guesthouses saw revenues fall by €2.6 billion last year, according to the Irish Hotels Federation, as Covid-19 limited the entire hospitality sector for most of 2020. The figure represents a 60% dip year-on-year, with room occupancy levels falling from 73% to 30%. The data was based on a survey of IHF members late last year, representing 165 properties and almost 17,000 guest rooms. With further restrictions likely to remain in place for months to come it called on the Government to introduce further measures to assist hotels and guesthouses. That would include the extension of the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme and the waiver of local authority rates until the end of the year. The IHF also wants the Government to commit to the 9% VAT rate for the sector until 2025.

ITIC wants 'Stay and Spend' revamp

HospitalityeNews – 28.01.2021
The Irish Tourist Industry Confederation has called for the Government's Stay and Spend scheme to be revamped and simplified in time for the summer season in order to help prevent much of the industry's small businesses from going to the wall. Chief Executive Eoghan O'Mara Walsh said the scheme had "fallen flat on its face" in its current guise, claiming it was too narrow, cumbersome and off-putting for many people. He added that the October to April timeframe had rendered the scheme mostly redundant in any case, with lockdown restrictions of movement taking up most of that period. If vaccines take-up goes to plan and movement restrictions can be eased, a simpler voucher scheme to stimulate domestic tourism could save many businesses, Mr O'Mara Walsh said.