‘Business as usual’ shows no respect for the community

ACCOMMODATION providers who continue to accept bookings despite the nationwide coronavirus lockdown are showing no respect for the local community and are doing no favours for tourism in West Kerry, according to Dingle Peninsula Tourism Alliance Chairman Gary Curran.

Tourism all but shut down in West Kerry following the government order of March 15 to close pubs and the more recent restrictions on travel and outdoor gatherings. Over the same time locals have adapted to social distancing as a way of life and concerns for the health of the community even motivated the Dingle Fife and Drum band to break with tradition and cancel their cherished St Patrick’s Day dawn parade that was first held in defiance of a ban on public gatherings over a century ago.

It is against this context that locals react with dismay and concern when they see visitors from abroad and more severely affected parts of Ireland still coming here to stay in rented accommodation.

In the run up to the Easter Bank Holiday weekend the online reservations site Booking. com listed 41 premises with rooms available to rent in the Dingle Peninsula from Good Friday to Easter Monday, STAYYNA.com had 49 holiday homes available to rent and Airbnb had 72 accommodation options available. We checked a selection of the accommodation on offer and in all cases they were accepting bookings for this weekend. However, it is possible that others were advertised in error because the owners had failed to notify the booking sites that they had closed down.

Gary Curran (pictured left), whose Greenmount House guesthouse is among the many in West Kerry to have closed temporarily, said it is disappointing that some accommodation providers continue to operate at a time when the battle against the coronavirus pandemic depends so much on limiting the movement of people.

“It’s very disappointing that some people are staying open. It shows a lack of respect for the community, for the medical staff, the voluntary workers and basically everyone who is trying to get us through this crisis,” he said.

Gary added that Booking.com has contacted accommodation providers in West Kerry asking them to take down listings if their premises are closed. “If there are Airbnb or holiday homes putting places up for rent it looks like we’re open for business and that’s pretty disappointing,” he said. “It shows disrespect for the community - and they make their money from the goodwill of the local community.”

He said it was understandable that people who are under financial pressure might feel they have to stay open, but he added that Airbnb owners have the option of renting to long-term tenants and they should look at doing this.