‘Zombie’ hotels put viable jobs in danger

TOURISM interests including Fáilte Ireland and the Irish Hotels Federation have warned that the continuing operation of so-called “zombie” hotels was placing many businesses and jobs in the sector in jeopardy.

The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Sport and Tourism yesterday heard that the oversupply of hotel rooms was threatening the future of many viable, long-established hotels.

In particular, the IHF expressed concern that banks and other financial institutions that had taken possession of hotels from developers and other investors and continued to operate them were interfering with normal market forces due to a number of factors, including the setting up of NAMA.