A KINSALE hotelier is appealing to election candidates to promote the importance of local tourism and push for a reduction in the hospitality vat rate to 9%.
In an open letter to Cork candidates, Ciaran Fitzgerald of the Blue Haven Collection, who is also chair of the Cork branch of the Irish Hotels Federation in Cork, says a flourishing tourism industry Is vital for the country’s economic prosperity.
The hospitality industry is now the country’s largest indigenous employer, he pointed out, and tourism enterprises support over 270,000 livelihoods in every town and county, and 27,000 in Cork.
‘While we have seen a welcome recovery in recent years, tourism and hospitality businesses are now facing a significant number of pressing challenges with implications for the longer-term sustainable development of our industry,’ he said.
‘These include the exceptionally high cost of doing business, pressures on consumer finances, skills shortages and an uncertain outlook for key tourism markets.’
Mr Fitzgerald said that local authorities have an essential role to play in tourism by helping to ensure the right conditions for further recovery. ‘It is of the utmost importance that elected councillors do everything in their power to make sure that tourism is at the top of the agenda while working closely with local tourism stakeholders to support growth and sustain local employment,’ he added.
He has urged all candidates to support greater collaboration between local authorities and the tourism sector; to support community-based tourism and to put a renewed focus on local government efficiencies and cost savings in the delivery of local government services.
‘This must be reflected in reduced local authority rates. This is of critical importance given the serious competitiveness issues businesses are facing with spiralling costs of doing business,’ he said.
Mr Fitzgerald also said that a greater focus is required to address the shortage of housing accommodation which is having a serious impact on the ability of businesses and tourism enterprises to attract employees.
