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New hope in sight for Irish hotel industry
IRELAND’S hotel industry is optimistic that recovery is on the cards for the rest of this year as bookings from the vital American market begin to strengthen.
The Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) said there was now hope in sight for 2004 for a sector that has been hit with a series of blows over the past three seasons.
Foot-and-mouth, the September 11 terrorist attacks and concern over the SARS epidemic have all shaken the tourism industry.
But IHF Chief Executive John Power said that American travellers were now starting to book holidays in Ireland again.
“I am much more optimistic now than I was four or five months ago,” he said.
“The main hope is coming from the States.”
Hoteliers across the country are reporting an upturn in bookings fuelled by a recovery in overseas trade and strong domestic demand due to the recent hot weather.
One said: “There is certainly something to look forward to now.
“Although it’s early days we are hopeful we have seen the worst of the downturn and bookings seem to be on the way up.
“We are definitely getting more enquiries from America now, where at one time that trade has all but dried up.”
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