The “Staycation Subsidy” proposed by the government may provide a much needed lifeline to hotels and others in the hospitality sector.
The plan will see a tax rebate on hotel and restaurant bills – however it won’t kick in until September which means families will miss out as children will be back at school.
However Director of Sales and Marketing at the Clonmel Park Hotel Laura Jones is hopeful it might entice people to holiday in the off-peak period.
“The summer season is your peak and I suppose your off peak is your shoulder period. That’s where we as hoteliers are concerned and the hospitality industry generally – tourism offerings and restaurants and things like that – if you haven’t got the tourists they’re all going to be affected as well. So maybe the time that it’s coming in in September could be the stimulus that we need to invigorate that business for the last quarter of the year.”
Meanwhile many Tipperary couples having to make tough decisions about their wedding plans with the delay in going to Phase 4 of the Covid-19 restrictions.
Originally scheduled for last Monday the plan is now to increase numbers attending events on August 10th.
The Clonmel Park Hotel have their first wedding of the lockdown scheduled for the August Bank Holiday weekend.
Laura Jones says that couple like many others are having to cut their guest list.
“That I suppose would have gone from large numbers – 200 plus – down.”
“It’s unfortunate for the couple because the day of the wedding it’s a day to remember and unfortunately they can’t have all their friends or family members around that they would like. You don’t want anyone to feel excluded but you’ve picked and chosen certain people to come to your wedding and unfortunately that’s what couples are facing now as they have to eliminate numbers off their guest list.”
“But I suppose we’ve learned to adapt – we’re looking with that particular couple at maybe doing a live-stream to their friends and family so there’s ways around it.”
