Hotels and guesthouses in Tipperary are calling on all political parties and candidates in the general election to commit to policy measures aimed at staving off the commercial crisis facing the wider tourism and hospitality industry, particularly food service businesses. Patrick Kickham-Lennon, Chair, South East Branch of the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) says that an urgent change in direction is now required to ensure the future viability of the industry as Ireland’s largest indigenous employer.
Tourism and hospitality businesses throughout Tipperary are facing enormous challenges as a result of unsustainable cost increases according to Mr Lennon who says the increases are due to the Government’s own economic policies. The sector supports approximately 5,400 jobs in county Tipperary and 270,000 livelihoods nationally.
The IHF is calling for a commitment to reinstate the 9% rate of VAT for hospitality food businesses, a Local Authority commercial rates waiver and employers’ PRSI rebates to offset the impact of policies that place labour-intensive industries such as tourism and hospitality at a disadvantage. In addition the IHF wants increased air access to Ireland, increased funding for hospitality training and skills development, support to help hotels to retrofit and improved access to finance.
