Visitors from UK on the slide

HOTELIERS and guesthouse owners in Sligo and across the country are reporting a continued fall in business levels from the UK this summer.

That’s according to the results of the latest quarterly barometer from the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF).

While business levels overall were up nationally across the summer months, with seven in ten hoteliers (71%) seeing an increase compared to this time last year, most (69%) reported a fall in business from Great Britain with over half (54%) saying Northern Ireland business levels had dropped too.

For now, strong performances by the US and domestic markets are helping to offset the significant fall-off in business from the UK.

Over half (56%) say future bookings from Northern Ireland are down, while nearly two thirds (65%) see a drop in advance bookings from Great Britain.

Most hoteliers say the weakened value of sterling is already affecting their business and Fergal Ryan, Chair of the IHF’s Sligo, Leitrim and Roscommon branch says the uncertainty around Brexit poses a real threat to the tourism industry, with regional tourism likely to be hit hardest. Tourism currently supports 5,700 jobs in Sligo and contributes some €131m to the local economy annually.

“Many of the consequences of Brexit are largely outside our control, so it is imperative that we mitigate the risks and potential damage where we can. “The 9% VAT rate for tourism, in particular, continues to deliver enormous benefits to the exchequer by making us more attractive as a tourism destination,” he said.

Mr Ryan added: “The overall rate of tourism growth is also continuing to slowdown, which is worrying.

The cuts to marketing funding and development in the recessionary years should also be reversed urgently so we can entice more visitors from new and existing markets and particularly to the regions. Time and time again, Irish tourism has shown itself to be an excellent investment.”