By Sarah Mooney
Tourist coaches remain parked up in lots around the country as business owners face one of the toughest seasons for international tourism providers in recent memory.
Though domestic tourism has been encouraged as the Covid-19 lockdown lifts, coach companies rely on business from international tourists who have been asked to self-isolate for 14 days upon arrival in the Republic.
The industry has gone from carrying over 75 million passengers per year, to close to none.
John Halpenny, chairman of the Coach Tourism and Transport Council of Ireland (CTTC), says there is “not one” tourist coach currently running:
“It’s actually come to zero – every coach in Ireland is parked up. Anyone who’s doing coach tours alone will be parked up until next May.”
The CTTC represents 1,721 coach operators, including major tour bus providers such as Paddywagon Tours, along with 11,457 jobs.
Mr Halpenny says tourists visiting the country are renting cars rather than hiring coaches, leaving many companies based in tourist hotspots such as Kerry or Galway without any form of business.
His own company Halpenny Travel is based in Dundalk and has 10 tourist coaches parked for the foreseeable future. Despite the company also running a school transport service, uncertainty also surrounds the return of school runs after the summer.
“My own company is 100 years old and we’ve never had this before... It’s unfortunate because this would be the height of the tourist season and majority of coaches would be out there.”
He says social distancing guidelines make the return of tourist coaches unlikely: “It’s down to 50 per cent on a coach wearing face masks, so that takes a 52-seater down to 26 people... it wouldn’t be worth your while.”
He says there is worry among coach owners as bank loan repayments are unfrozen and staff have been left to rely on the Covid-19 payment. Mr Halpenny warns that companies will go out of business and there may not be jobs for staff to return to.
On the foot of this, the CTTC is seeking government support in the form of a subsidy of 17 per cent of a company’s revenue from 2019 to be claimed by each operator, amounting to a total €32 million.
Boost for local shops
Meanwhile, tourist gift shops have reported a boost as domestic tourism returns.
Clíona Standún of Standún, an Irish-owned business selling goods such as Aran sweaters, says business has been better than expected.
Since the reopening of the company’s two stores in Spiddal and Oughterard Co Galway on June 13th, support has been strong from Irish customers:
“It’s been very busy with local customers and Irish staycationers. We haven’t had any foreign tourists – normally 50 per cent of business is foreign tourists and we get a lot of busses... but right now it’s just Irish staycationers from around the country.”
Though the business was forced to lay off members of staff during the Covid-19 lockdown, she says most full-time staff have been brought back thanks to the efforts of customers from Ireland:
“There’s definitely a mentality towards supporting local businesses and people see the importance of supporting Irish businesses, otherwise it’s detrimental to jobs.”
