'Our businesses are going up in flames' - Munster hoteliers bracing for a bitter winter season

With booking continuing to drop, hoteliers across the region are bracing themselves for survival, writes Nicole Glennon

Hotelier Niall O'Callaghan at the Failte Hotel Killarney. 'Our business is turning over 20% of what we always turned over. How are we expected to survive the winter?' Picture: Don MacMonagle

Hotels and guesthouses across the country are reporting a dramatic drop-off in bookings for September and October with average room occupancy levels at 24% nationally, compared to 86% for the same period last year.

The latest industry survey from the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) shows the colossal challenges hoteliers are facing heading into the winter months.