Locals want tourism despite virus fears
Restaurants, pubs and hotels say the country is now open for staycationers – but there is still concern over the virus in some communities
‘They are a bit frightened but what can we do?’
RURAL Ireland is set to bite its lip and reopen for tourists tomorrow – despite the fears of some locals.
Three months after a glut of signs and protests urged holiday home owners and tourists to stay away, the lifting of restrictions means they are now allowed back.
Determined to save some of their season, rural publicans and hoteliers are desperate to give a warm welcome to city dwellers.
But their enthusiasm for the return of holiday-makers is not matched by all in their communities.
In one of Ireland’s premier tourist destinations, Dingle in west Kerry, councillor Séamus Cosai Fitzgerald, says people are anxious.
‘They are nervous and probably a bit frightened but what can we do?’ says Mr Fitzgerald, who was one of those who demanded extra policing to keep outsiders away during lockdown.
‘The economy has to reopen at some point. People’s livelihoods depend on it.
‘We’re not expecting foreign visitors but we are expecting Irish tourists.
‘We say to them, “Come, you are welcome and don’t be worried, people won’t give you cross looks”.’
A study published this week by consultants Ernst & Young found Kerry has the highest number of people in the country employed in the tourism industry, at 18% of the workforce.
It said the loss caused by lockdown to the county’s tourism industry is close to €400m.
The economy of Co. Mayo has also been hit hugely by the loss of tourist revenue.
Westport Chamber of Commerce says the return of tourists is now crucial to the livelihoods of people there.
But not everyone seems to agree. On the road leading to the town from the picturesque village of Leenane, two large hand-painted signs were erected earlier this month reading: ‘Be Wise Ireland. We are still in a pandemic’ and ‘Stay alert’. Locals say the person who put them there was not from their village.
‘Westport is open for business, we want you here. We want to pamper you,’ said Joe O’Malley from Cosy Joe’s pub in the popular tourist town.
However, one Galway woman who spoke to the Irish Mail on Sunday said she was on a day trip to Clifden last week when a local woman approached her and asked: ‘What the f*** are you doing here?’ ‘I was absolutely floored,’ the woman said. ‘And the thing was I was entitled to be there because I was still travelling within my county.
‘The woman was extremely hostile and I knew exactly what she meant: “Get out strangers”.’
In Co. Clare – where gardaí launched a criminal investigation after a local person targeted holiday homes in Kilkee with leaflets saying: ‘F*** off or you will not have any holiday home to return to’ in April – they are also gearing up for a return of outsiders.
Kilkee Chamber of Commerce said it ‘utterly condemned such nonsensical, counter-productive and criminal behaviour’.
And Maurice Walsh, proprietor of Durty Nelly’s bar in Bunratty and a member of Clare Tourism Steering Group, insisted that attitude was not representative of the majority. ‘The majority of people would be happy to see any tourists at all in Clare right now,’ he said.
‘We are definitely open and ready for business.’
Mr Walsh’s famous pub, which celebrates its 400th anniversary
this year, depends more than most on overseas trade.
But with 80% of its normal customers gone, it is now looking to the domestic market with optimism as well.
‘Realistically the Americans won’t be back until next March and what we call the Paddy’s Day rush,’ says Mr Walsh.
‘So we’re looking at Limerick and Ennis now and to entice families out here for a great day with kids eat free and we’ve other activities laid on. What’s going to be crucial to my business and so many others is that the Government extends the current temporary wage subsidy scheme.’
The Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) also renewed its call this week for the subsidy to be extended to people working in the seasonal tourism sector. ‘Seasonal tourism businesses will find it difficult to re-employ many of their experienced people this summer without Government support,’ said Tim Fenn, chief executive of the federation.
‘These jobs are vital for many families living in regions where tourism is the only major employer and they should not be left behind.’ Almost 270,000 people were employed in the tourism industry before the pandemic.
Just under 40,000 of these are seasonal employees who would typically return to the same employer every year for the busy tourism season, which runs from April to October.
The IHF also said a survey it conducted found a third of hotels will struggle to fill their rooms this summer.
Nine out of 10 have asked their banks for more finance or loan renegotiations, with nearly half seeking full payment moratoriums.
Meanwhile, locals are evidently still nervous in some parts of the country.
Emily Browne of the Smugglers Creek restaurant in the picturesque resort of Rossnowlagh, Co. Donegal, was training her staff for reopening when gardaí knocked on the door on Thursday.
‘I was just amazed to see them there and they told me that two people had reported seeing people in the restaurant and that we must have been serving food,’ she said.
‘What was actually happening was I had 26 staff in there and they had paper in their hands with the safety instructions written out and people looking in thought they were menus.
‘The guards were embarrassed to have to call I thought but I felt very upset because we are a well run establishment giving employment in the area and I would never do anything illegal like that.’
Ms Browne explained how her business would be able to adapt to the new socially-distanced landscape.
‘We were doing about 60% food and 40% drinks but that will now shift to 70/30 and we’re lucky in that we’ve a lot of outside space, so I think we’ll just lose one table,’ she said.
‘We’re delighted to welcome everyone here. We have surfers coming here from all over the world but this year it will be very local with people coming from all over Ireland hopefully.
‘As soon as the Government announced the lifting of phase three restrictions, within three hours I had emails, telephone calls and Facebook messages all looking to book. It’s been great.’
‘It’s crucial Government extend wage subsdidies’