Hard Brexit ‘catastrophe’ for tourism

A hard Brexit would be “catastrophic” for the tourism industry in Ireland and all stakeholders must push to ensure the best possible outcome in light of the UK election, the boss of Cork Airport has said.

Managing director Niall MacCarthy said the likelihood of a softer Brexit following UK prime minister Theresa May’s failure to secure an overall House of Commons majority should not mask the potential for difficulty ahead.

“A hard, cliff-edge Brexit would be catastrophic for the Irish tourism industry and we need to do everything we can to ensure we avoid that,” he said.