Tourism jobs under threat

One in ten Galway jobs is under threat as a result of the direct impact of COVID-19 on tourism.

That’s according to a new report by consulting and professional services firm, EY Ireland – based on the fact that ten per cent of jobs in the county directly dependent on the tourism and hospitality sector.

The situation is marginally worse in Mayo where that figures stands at eleven per cent – but both fade in comparison to Kerry where it represents s a massive 18 per cent of all jobs.

And even with a reduction or removal or restrictions, the report suggests that the picture will still be bleak, because US visitor numbers – typically 25 per cent of all tourists to Ireland – are likely to remain dramatically low after lockdown is eased.

That’s why the report has called for a rapid and sustainable financial support package for Irish tourism – but most particularly for the less urbanised areas which are more likely to be disproportionately affected by the impact of Covid-19.

Pre-crisis, the accommodation and food sectors accounted for 179,200 jobs across the country – but today almost twelve per cent of those workers are availing of the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme.

An estimated ten per cent of jobs in Galway are directly dependent on the tourism and hospitality sector; eleven per cent of jobs in neighbouring Mayo depend on the sector.

This compares with ten per cent in the capital and ten per cent in Cork, with many more supported through the supply chains and associated wages.

Less urbanised areas of Ireland with higher dependence on tourism, for example Kerry, where 18 percent of jobs are directly dependent on the industry, will be more susceptible to COVID-19 shocks, with fewer alternative sectors that could compensate for job losses.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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