Home

Shares in Dalata Hotel Group rose on Wednesday as Davy raised its earnings forecast for the company on the back of rising hotel room rates and the company's  development plans.

“Dalata has 925 new rooms due to open by the end of 2018 - this equates to almost 20 per cent additional capacity for a hotel that is achieving occupancy above 80 per cent,” said Davy analysts David Jennings and Robert Stokes in a report.

Meanwhile, the analysts have raised their 2016 and 2017 earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation estimates for Dalata by 3 per cent to €83.3 million and €92.2 million, respectively, as they have grown more optimistic about the company’s revenues per available room (RevPar).

Ireland’s Ancient East is getting a major international boost this month as counties Cork, Waterford and Tipperary play host to 15 influential media with a combined circulatio

n of over 8.5million. As guests of Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland, the international print and online media who have come from France, Germany, Holland, Austria, Spain and New Zealand, will hear the stories of Ireland’s Ancient East and learn more about what it has to offer international visitors.

 During their time in Ireland the travelling media will journey into Ireland’s rich maritime past as they travel  to Cobh, the home of the Titanic and Lusitania; experience Ireland’s food culture sampling local produce at Midleton’s food markets and the Old Jameson Distillery; and hear tales of the Normans as they embark on a walking tour of Youghal with Town Crier Cliff Winser(pictured).

Hotels and restaurants are planning to hire more staff than most other sectors  to the end of the year, according to a Manpower survey which found that 10 of the 11 industries planned to be in the market recruiting staff in the last three months of the year.

 “Brexit has been a contentious issue for many employers in Ireland but the fourth-quarter survey suggests that employers in most sectors, despite the uncertainty surrounding Britain’s exit from the EU, are still planning to up recruitment levels in the remaining quarter of 2016,” said John Galvin, head of sales at Manpower Group Ireland.

He said that restaurants and hotels were being boosted by the numbers of people holidaying in Ireland.

Firms in the electricity, gas and water industry also reported they plan to increase hires by a substantial amount in the coming three months.

 

  Nicholas Harris (front, left), and his father Alan (front, right), wave goodbye as they make their way to Skellig Michael, with captain Patrick O’Neill, Waterville Boats. They wo

n a trip to Ireland's 'Star Wars' location in a competition organised by  Tourism Ireland.

 The video announcing the campaign , unveiled earlier this year, includes footage of Skellig Michael , the location of the dramatic final scene from The Force Awakens. It has been viewed more than 1.3 million times to date.

 Since the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens last December, Tourism Ireland has been taking every opportunity to capitalise on the publicity around the film, to help whet peoples’ appetites to come and visit.