News

Pól forecasts bright tourism future

Ireland can be a leader in a changed tourism market following the Covid 19 pandemic, Pól O’Conghaile, travel editor of the ‘Irish Independent’ said yesterday.

He was speaking at a webinar held by the Irish Hospitality Institute as part of ‘Hospitality and Tourism Professionals Day’.

Pól said that trending attributes for destinations in the wake of the travel restrictions included a re-set of the tourism offering, safety, experience and sustainability.

Ireland, he said is well placed to capitalise on these trends. The industry has an opportunity to re-imagine its offering and to emphasise new aspects of Ireland’s appeal. Ireland has also enhanced its reputation as a safe destination. As travellers look for new experiences, ‘the wilderness is the new wellness’, offering countries like Ireland an opportunity to promote the countryside, walking and cycling trails and locations ‘away from crowds’. While this trend will not help cities, he said, it will benefit rural Ireland.

Internationally, he predicted a rising demand for self-catering accommodation and ‘small blended group’ holidays.

Restaurants likely to r-open

The Government is likely to allow restaurants and gastropubs to reopen in December while also permitting household visits.The Cabinet Covid-19 sub-committee met for five hours on Thursday night and proposed that much of the hospitality sector should be allowed to reopen from December 7th onwards.

Sources said there would be tighter rules including cutting the time allowed at a table and cutting the number of people allowed to sit together in restaurants.

It is unlikely that household visits will recommence next week, though rules on this will change from December 18th while travel restrictions would also be removed allowing people to leave their county.

In a letter to Government, the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) had advised that the hospitality sector should be allowed to offer take-away only services throughout December.

Nphet said a choice should be made between relaxing restrictions on households visits or allowing the hospitality sector to reopen.

Fenn seeks wider travel

Hotels and guesthouses across the country are urging the Government to reopen hotels and allow people to travel outside their county from the beginning of December. In an timfenn open letter to Ministers1 , Tim Fenn, Chief Executive of the Irish Hotels Federation says failure to do so would be a missed opportunity that could have a detrimental impact on public buy-in to Covid-19 restrictions and limit the choice of safer options where families can meet in the run-up to Christmas.

“Public health is the No 1 priority, and we understand the difficult challenges and choices facing

Major expansion for Central Hotel

Dublin City Council has granted permission for a major expansion of the Central Hotel on South Great George’s Street and Dame Court into a new 6,554sq m five-storey hotel centralhotel

with 125 bedrooms and a rooftop garden.

In the revamp, the Rí-Rá nightclub space is to become a “speak-easy” while the space occupied by The Globe bar is to be transformed into a retail outlet.

As part of the application by Exchequer Developments, the existing Library Bar in the hotel will be reduced in size to make way for additional bedrooms.

Wildlands launches vouchers

The newly opened Wildlands adventure centre in Galway has launched a voucher scheme. wilands

Nestled in over 20 acres of woodland overlooking the Ballyquirke Lake in Moycullen, just 10 minutes from Galway city, Wildlands offers a variety of indoor and outdoor all-weather activities (indoor activities may be limited depending on Covid-19 government guidance in place). Ideal for all ages, from thrill seekers to those in pursuit of serenity. Its woodland walks and fairy trails are the perfect backdrop to the Zip ’n’ Trek course, a three-hour four circuit experience, soaring 15m above ground. Other outdoor attractions include Zip ‘n’ Trek junior, archery, disc golf, bush craft, adventure play playground and Baile Beag, an imaginative play village for children.