Weather rains on tourism industry
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Thursday August 14 2008
THE extreme weather conditions have further hit the tourism industry, which was already suffering its most challenging period in a number of years.
The sector has been hit by the weak US dollar, the credit crunch and declining consumer confidence internationally, while oil prices have also had an impact.
"Trading conditions this year are very tough, probably the toughest in a number of years," Failte Ireland's Paul Keeley said.
"The weather has been the icing on the cake in terms of (people being) less inclined to book breaks, or when they are booking they may be inclined to book overseas breaks."
Among domestic travellers, a small increase in bednights in hotels and B&Bs was noted in the early part of the year.
Mr Keeley said overseas visitors were not travelling to Ireland for the weather, but the domestic market, which often books trips at short notice, had been affected.
However, he said it was "not all doom and gloom", with some of the urban centres such as Galway benefiting from the racing and arts festivals.
Optimism
"I'm not hearing too much optimism around at the moment but there is a kind of resilience," he said. Mr Keeley also said many of the hotels were offering "good-value" packages to visitors.
Tourism Ireland, which markets Ireland overseas, said total visitor numbers were up slightly in May. However, a spokeswoman said: "I'm aware that the industry on the ground say numbers have dropped."
Meanwhile, farmers are also fast approaching the critical harvest time.
"The forecast at the weekend will be crucial or we will be in a dire situation," Teagasc's crops expert Jim O'Mahony said.
The crops of winter wheat and spring barley -- worth €350m -- are just beginning to ripen. "If the forecast is still bad on Monday, then we are into a salvage situation," he said.
- Louise Hogan
