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Hotels enjoy summer booking surge

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By Sean Moriarty

Killarney hoteliers are predicting a good summer following a surge in bookings in recent weeks. The latest industry survey by the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) shows early signs that hotels in certain parts of the country are beginning to see an uplift in bookings for July and August.

The South West region reports a 35% hotel occupancy for July and 33% for August.

This is above the national average of 23% for July and 21% for August and a slight improvement on the March average which reported booking levels of just 22% for July and 20% in August nationally.

The surge in bookings came after last week’s announcement by An Taoiseach Micheál Martin around the potential reopening of hotels in a few weeks’ time.

“Staycations were a real positive last summer and we expect booking levels to continue to rise over the coming weeks," Bernadette Randles, Chair of the Kerry branch of the Irish Hotels Federation, said. "Not surprisingly, as indicated by our latest survey, we would expect to see stronger demand in coastal areas, popular tourism destinations and hotels offering packages and facilities for families. This is reflected in the South West, including Kerry, where occupancy levels at 35% for July are slightly ahead of the national average. There is excellent value available. Guests should contact hotels directly to find out what special offers are available and shop around."

The IHF survey was carried out on April 6-8 and the results are based on the response of 330 properties with 32,850 guest rooms spread across the country.

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Contactless payments launched on Local Link services

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Passengers using TFI Local Link Kerry services in Killarney and across the county can now pay for their journeys using contactless card payments.

The National Transport Authority (NTA) confirmed the rollout this week, allowing commuters to simply tap their debit card, credit card, or mobile devices, such as Apple Pay and Google Pa, when boarding.

The move is designed to offer more convenience for those using high-frequency rural and regional routes.

In Killarney, the new payment option will be available on the TFI Anseo town services, which have seen a significant increase in passenger numbers since their introduction.

The contactless system is currently available for single journey fares, while those using daily or weekly passes can continue to use the Leap website or the TFI Leap Top Up App.
Alan O’Connell, General Manager of TFI Local Link Kerry, welcomed the modernisation of the fleet.

“The introduction of contactless payments is another welcome step forward for public transport in Kerry,” he said. “It complements other major projects in the county, including the expansion of TFI Local Link services and the delivery of TFI Anseo in Killarney, which is proving to be another great initiative.”

While the new technology offers a modern alternative, traditional payment methods are not being phased out. Cash payments, TFI Leap cards, and Free Travel Cards all remains fully valid across the network.

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How will our Kerry TDs vote tomorrow?

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Tomorrow, Sinn Féin will be tabling a motion of no confidence against the Government after the protests that took place nationwide during the week.

Earlier today we asked our readers how would they vote in a no confidence motion against the Government?

Most of our readers said they would vote no confidence, while some said, yes they do have confidence in the Government.

One reader said: “Vote confidence. The only proper leadership over the last few days came from government. Courage came when needed despite how unpopular it looked in the moment. By contrast, opposition politicians wanted the country to burn to suit themselves”.

Another reader stated: “No confidence. Shambolic and heavy handed handling of protests this past week”.

However, some people didn’t have any confidence in either side with a reader saying: “No confidence in the no confidence! Different wings of the same bird! We need a complete overhaul of the political system”.

We asked the question to our 5 Kerry TDs before lunch-time today, asking them what their vote will be tomorrow.

We received one reply from Sinn Féin’s Kerry TD Pa Daly.

He will be voting no confidence in the Government tomorrow along with his party.

Other media outlets are reporting that Independent TD Danny Healy-Rae is undecided at the moment.

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