Hotel and guesthouse owners in county Tipperary met with local political representatives last week to discuss the challenges facing the tourism sector as 2023 approaches. While there has been a welcome upturn in tourism this year, businesses remain in recovery mode, dealing with the impacts of the pandemic, the energy crisis and an expected global economic downturn in key markets next year.
The Irish Hotels Federation says it is crucially important that everything possible is done to protect and secure tourism livelihoods and support the long-term sustainable development of the wider tourism industry.Irish tourism businesses are collectively the largest indigenous employer in the country with Tourism in Tipperary accounting for 5,400 jobs and €120m of revenue annually. The planned increase in VAT from 9% to 13.5% on March 1st 2023 is also an issue of huge concern to the sector. The IHF fears that the VAT increase may make Ireland less competitive on the international market.
Featured in the Image:
Mairin McGrath; Colm Neville, Riverside Park Hotel, Enniscorthy; Mattie McGrath TD and Aidan Quirke, Round Tower Hotel, Co. Wexford
