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Irish hotels make good start this year despite Brexit risk: survey

Xinhua, March 1, 2017 Adjust font size:

Irish hotel owners are reporting a good start to the year, according to results from an industry survey on Tuesday.

The survey, conducted by the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF), showed hoteliers' business levels are up compared to this time last year and that they are also seeing an increase in advance bookings for the year.

However, while hoteliers nationally have a positive outlook for their business in 2017, on the back of a record year for tourism in 2016, their optimism is tinged with caution, the survey showed.

Half of the hoteliers surveyed said the fall in sterling has already had a direct effect on their business.

Nationally, almost three quarters (74 percent) of hoteliers are seeing an even better start to this year than last. The strong growth in business levels from the United States looks set to continue in 2017 with almost half of hotels and guesthouses reporting an increase from this important market.

Visitor numbers from German and French markets are proving buoyant too. One third of premises are reporting an increase in German visitors so far this year and nearly one in five are benefiting from increased business from France.

Hoteliers are also upbeat for the remainder of the year as advance bookings from these markets at this point seem robust. Forty four percent are reporting an increase in bookings from the United States while three in ten are seeing a rise in bookings from Germany and one in six say bookings are up from France. Endit