By Ciarán Sunderland
Brittany Ferries has announced changes to its ferry schedule between Ireland, Britain, Spain and France.
The suspension of the Rosslare to Bilbao service to passengers until at least April 9 is one of the main changes.
The last service will leave Spain on Sunday at midday. The French ferry group will operate only freight traffic during that period.
The decision follows a Spanish state of alert declared today and the increased measures taken by the French government on Thursday to counter the spread of coronavirus.
Meanwhile, Fáilte Ireland has established a Business Supports Taskforce to help tourism and hospitality businesses impacted by the Covid-19 spread.
CEO Paul Kelly of Fáilte Ireland explained that the disruption has affected both sectors in a period where cash flow is reduced.
He said: "These are truly unprecedented times for the tourism sector across the board and already we are seeing job losses as cash-flow and liquidity challenges mount for businesses."
As an industry, urgent action is required to help businesses survive during these incredibly challenging times.
Kelly added: “Tourism businesses are already doing what they can to support public health, with many restaurants offering free meals to healthcare workers and free delivery to the elderly."
The sector has shown that it is there for the community even when it is in the midst of an unprecedented crisis.
Most of Fáilte Ireland’s operations have been postponed or cancelled including:
- Meitheal 2020, Ireland’s largest Travel and Tourism Trade Fair has been cancelled.
- Fáilte Ireland’s new domestic marketing campaign ‘Keep Discovering’ has been paused.
- Tourism Information Centres throughout the country have now been closed.
- All international media trips to Ireland have been postponed.
