HOTELIERS CALL FOR SUPPORT: Bernadette Randles previously pictured on the occasion of being elected chair of the Kerry Branch of the Irish Hotels Federation with fellow Kerry hoteliers.

Hotel and guesthouse owners in Kerry and across the country are calling on Paschal Donohue TD, Minister for Finance, and the Government to introduce a series of urgent measures to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on the economy, including the tourism and hospitality industry.

Over the past few weeks, the industry has been decimated with over 85 percent of hotels closed nationally and the majority of the 260,000 employees laid off or on short-time.

They are calling for a range of measures that will allow businesses to plan now for their recovery including Local Authority rates and water charges to be waived for a minimum period of 12 months; measures to assist with cash flow for businesses facing short term problems and VAT rates to be reduced to zero for a minimum of 12 months and until the industry has recovered, then restored to nine percent on a permanent basis.

Bernadette Randles, Chair of the Kerry branch of the Irish Hotels Federation said that hoteliers appreciated that the country is experiencing the greatest health crisis in living memory and that significant resources are being committed to address the overriding issue of public health.

However, she warned that “every day’s delay in implementing the measures, results in greater risks to our tourism and hospitality industry.

"The health and well-being of all citizens is intertwined with the economy, and people will need livelihoods after the crisis is over. Tourism supports 11 percent of total employment nationally. It is important to note that 70 percent of these jobs are outside of Dublin which highlights its vital role in spreading employment opportunities and prosperity across the entire country. Here in Kerry, tourism supported 15,700 jobs and generated €592m in local revenues before this crisis,” she said.

Ms Randles noted the willingness of hotels to play their part in providing assistance to essential services where required by the HSE and other Government departments. She said that mitigating the impact of COVID-19 must go hand in hand with ensuring that Irish people have a viable economy to return to in the coming months.

“Irish tourism has been a key driver of job growth over the last decade, and it is essential that our industry remains to the fore of the national economic agenda, including in negotiations on the Framework for Government. Whilst discussions are ongoing, further measures are now urgently required to protect tourism livelihoods and address the enormous challenges we face. These challenges are existential for many tourism businesses and of a significantly greater scale than anything experienced during the last financial crisis."

“At present most of our industry nationally is closed. We are seeking an urgent response to ensure that hotel and guesthouse properties are preserved and ready to scale up when the COVID-19 related restrictions are lifted. Tourism and hospitality businesses are now working to secure the necessary funds to survive and restart."