Tourism chiefs warned of serious headwinds ahead

Ireland’s tourism industry is under “considerable pressure”, with costs, Brexit uncertainty, and the coronavirus all potential headwinds this year, a leading economist has warned.

A survey by the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF), coinciding with the start of its two-day annual conference in Galway, found that the mixed performance in 2019 is likely to be repeated this year and only a third of hoteliers are optimistic about trading conditions over the next 12 months.