100,000 tourism jobs have been lost this year with another 100,000 at risk, according to the latest industry survey from the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF).
Since the Government's announcement about localised restrictions on September 15h, the weekly rate of new bookings for hotels has plummeted by 67 per cent.
This represents an "enormous blow" to the Irish tourism industry at a time when it is already under massive strain.
Make or break
IHF president Elaina Fitzgerald Kane said: “It is now ‘make or break’ time. Urgent and unprecedented intervention from the Government is required to support tourism businesses and safeguard thousands of jobs throughout the sector. This must form a central plank of the Budget due to be announced next month.”
Before the Covid-19 pandemic, tourism supported 270,000 jobs in Ireland, representing one in ten of all Irish jobs.
So far this year, 100,000 of those jobs have been lost and the IHF has warned that another 100,000 are at risk without substantial 'sector specific supports'.
The survey was carried out at the start of this week (September 21st) and results are based on the response from 298 properties accounting for a combined stock of 32,100 guestrooms spread throughout the entire country.
Hotel room occupancy rates across the country are at 40 per cent for September, 23 per cent for October and 12 per cent for November based on business currently booked. This compared with rates of 89 per cent last September, 81 per cent last October and 82 per cent last November.
Breakdown of occupancy results for October / November 2020:
- National room occupancy: 23 per cent Oct / 12 per cent Nov
- Dublin City and County: 12 per cent Oct / 10 per cent Nov
- Border region: 31 per cent Oct / 14 per cent Nov
- Mid-West: 19 per cent Oct / 10 per cent Nov
- Midlands / Mid East: 23 per cent Oct / 12 per cent Nov
- South East: 40 per cent Oct / 21 per cent Nov
- South West: 26 per cent Oct / 9 per cent Nov
- West: 31 per cent Oct / 15 per cent Nov
