Staycationers holding off on hotel holidays

Holidaymakers are holding off on booking staycations in anticipation of a clear plan for the reopening of hospitality, due to be announced later today (Thursday) by Taoiseach Micheál Martin.

This comes as hoteliers are banking on a flood of bookings after the announcement – in the hope of salvaging a mid-summer season.

Less than a third of hotel rooms have been booked for the traditional peak season of July and August, a level the Galway Branch Chair of the Irish Hotels Federation described as ‘historically low’, but attributed to a lack of consumer confidence.

Wayne Neilon said there were serious concerns over the prospects of any bounce back for hospitality if a ‘roadmap’ outlining a timeline for the easing of restrictions was not delivered.

“What we really need is some level of certainty, because we have serious concerns about what will happen if we don’t get it. We’re not necessarily saying that they have to give us a date, but we would like them, at the very least, to provide us with the metrics of how they will be making their decisions,” said Mr Neilon, referring to the number of vaccines that need to be administered to enable reopening.

“In doing so, it would allow consumers to plan their staycations,” he added.

While some customers had been taking a punt and booking rooms in recent weeks, they were in the minority.

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