Irish hotels are bracing for loss of over 100,000 bookings from China in coming months due to the coronavirus, according to the Irish Hotels Federation.

Ireland continues to have a two-tier tourism industry with the regions bearing the brunt of the slowdown the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) has said.

Almost four out of five hotels have seen their insurance premiums hiked in the past year by an average of 15%, according to a report by the industry's main representative body.

Escalating insurance costs of €730 a room threaten to puncture a record year for many hoteliers and guest house owners as they face the challenge of hosting fewer British visitors, the country’s largest hotels group has said.

Driven largely by a boom in the number of tourists visiting the country, the occupancy rate stood at 70% — up from 64% in 2014. More than €7.2bn in revenue was generated by tourism last year, as more than 7.9m tourists visited the country — up 798,000 on 2014.

The tourism industry has broadly welcomed the retention of the 9% Vat rate for the sector — but has been warned that rising hotel prices in Dublin meant the case for maintaining it is “diminishing”.

Almost a quarter of the 145 hotels put into receivership at the end of last year are yet to come to market creating a pipeline of properties that will help transactions reach record highs again this year.

One in five hotels and guesthouses are operating unsustainable business models and failing to make a profit after interest payments.

Unions representing workers at Aer Lingus are due to brief their shop stewards at the airline today and tomorrow to further clarify their stance on the proposed takeover of the airline by aviation group IAG.

Excessive local authority rates remain one of the most pressing issues facing hoteliers across the country and must be reduced to help the sector thrive, according to the industry’s representative body.

Ireland’s tourism interests strongly oppose the sale of the Government’s stake in Aer Lingus unless the takeover bidders include guarantees to secure the future of Ireland’s regional airports.

Fáilte Ireland says number of visitors back at pre-recession level

A strong tourist trade has helped the majority of hotel and guesthouse owners to improved levels of business, a study shows.

A severe shortage of qualified staff could jeopardise the creation of 40,000 tourism-related jobs, according to the Irish Hotel Federation.

At the end of a tourism initiative launched in the depths of the recession and met with no little scepticism, Conall Ó Fátharta puts away his céad míle fáilte and asks...

Nearly 80% of hoteliers saw a boost in profits on the back of the good summer and an increase in footfall from the US, according to a survey by the Irish Hotels Federation.

Two-thirds of hotels are confident that they will see an improvement in the performance of the Irish hotel sector over the next three years, according to new research produced for AIB.

Almost three-quarters of the country’s hoteliers are concerned about the future of their business, but more than half are reporting a pick-up in trade for this year, according to a survey by the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF).

Fewer British holidaymakers visiting Ireland led to a slump in tourism figures over the summer, it has emerged.

The Central Bank report on Irish credit conditions drew widespread support from business organisations.

There has been an angry reaction to a report on Irish banks' lending record published today.

More than half of hoteliers nationwide have seen a boost in business compared with this time last year, new figures show.

Regional hotels and guesthouses have had a disappointing start to the summer season, according to the latest Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) quarterly barometer.

Hotels in Dublin are continuing to grow business though at a slower rate than 2011, according to Deloitte.

Ministers are putting the “frighteners” on people in order to try and force a yes vote on the fiscal treaty, Socialist TD Joe Higgins has said.

The country’s 5,000-plus hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs may have to fork out about €3.8m a year to the music industry for providing a radio, television or CD player in guest rooms.

Hoteliers tonight criticised a European court ruling that they have to pay a performance fee for recorded music in guest rooms.

The Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) today described as 'outrageous' a decision by the European Court of Justice that could require Irish hotels to pay royalties for the use of TV and radio broadcasts by guests in the privacy of their hotel bedrooms.

Hotels in Ireland face major challenges when it comes to competitiveness and the biggest drains are the cost of wages, local authority rates and utility rates, according to the Irish Hotel Federation.

More than 6.2 million people stayed in Irish hotels last year, an increase of 7% from 2010, according to the Irish Hotels Federation.

The number of tourists visiting Ireland was up 7% last year, but the recovery follows the disastrous 2010 figures when the Icelandic ash cloud wiped out tourism revenue.

Visitor numbers to Ireland increased last year for the first time since 2007.

The Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) has criticised what it calls "the guillotining" of capital allowance schemes in today's Budget from the Minister for Finance’s Michael Noonan.

EVERYONE in the country has been urged to invite friends or family home for a massive Irish reunion in 2013, aimed at boosting the economy.

Irish people around the globe are being invited to come home in 2013 as part of the country’s biggest ever tourism drive, the Government claims.

TENSIONS between the Coalition partners over the reform of wage agreements are likely to continue after Labour warned that measures must be taken to protect lower-paid workers.

Businesses catering to tourists must slash prices in line with the cut in VAT, Taoiseach Enda Kenny has warned.

IRELAND’S reputation as a rip-off destination has been reinforced after it was revealed that food, drink, hotel and restaurant prices are among the EU’s highest.

Up to 65% of hoteliers are feeling positive about the future of their businesses, according to a new survey from the Irish Hotels Federation.

HOTELS around the country are planning to cut more staff this year, with many saying they can’t get bank credit and are finding it hard to survive.

The Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) today welcomed what it called "strong and decisive action" announced in the Budget to assist the survival of the tourism industry.

Ryanair has said that Irish tourism will "continue to be strangled by a €3 tourist tax" after today's Budget announced by Finance Minister Brian Lenihan.