BREXIT CONCERNS FOR SLIGO HOTELS
UK VISITOR NUMBERS DOWN BY 6% ON LAST YEAR, SLIGO HIT BADLY
BREXIT remains a major concern for the hotel sector in Sligo, according to the latest quarterly barometer from the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF).
With UK visitor numbers down by 6% year on year, according to the latest CSO figures, three in five (59%) hotel and guesthouse owners nationally say the weakened Sterling has had a negative effect on their business during 2017.
Furthermore, three in five (62%) report a fall in business from Great Britain with two in five (40%) seeing a similar drop from Northern Ireland, compared to 2016. Almost all hoteliers surveyed (94%) called for additional marketing support and product development for their region.
Tourism currently supports 5,700 jobs in Sligo and contributes some €131m to the local economy annually.
Chair of the IHF’s Sligo branch Fergal Ryan said that while visitor numbers may still be up, the tourism and hospitality sector cannot afford to be complacent about the future.
“The continued fall-out from Brexit and the slowdown in visitor growth are worrying as they have a significant regional bias. For too long we have had a two-tier tourism sector where businesses in the major cities and tourism hotspots benefit more than the regions.
“We must diversify into new markets and we welcome the work being done in that regard. However, it cannot be at the expense of our existing markets, particular- ly the UK, which has the broadest regional and seasonal spread of visitors.
“Time and again tourism has shown itself to be an excellent investment for every euro spent in destination marketing.
“Our survey shows that hoteliers are planning to increase their own marketing spend next year too but more targeted investment is needed particularly in regional marketing support and in the development of new and engaging products,” Mr Ryan said.
He added: “Hoteliers in Sligo and across the country are investing in their properties and in staff recruitment and development to ensure that we continue to be an attractive, value for money destination for all visitors and especially visitors from the UK.”
Nationally, nearly nine in ten hoteliers (86%) plan to undertake refurbishment or capital investment projects over the next year while over half (53%) expect to increase their staff levels in 2018, with most intending to recruit staff across all levels of their business.”
Christmas events and parties are a significant part of the business for more than half of the hoteliers surveyed (55%). Of those, almost half (47%) report an increase in business this festive season compared to last with a third intending to take on additional staff for the Christmas period. The tourism industry supports approximately 230,000 jobs in Ireland.