Five years to recover from Covid – says Tourism Ireland’s CEO

Tourism Ireland CEO Niall Gibbons has said that it could take over half a decade for Ireland’s tourism sector to recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gibbons told the Irish Independent said that 2020 had been a “catastrophic” year for the tourism industry and that it could take years for the tourism sector to make a full recovery.

Tourism Ireland, which markets the island of Ireland to GB, EU and internationally, does not expect to see tourism from long-haul markets until 2022 and beyond.

“The pace of recovery is unknown. However, based on the best information to hand, Tourism Ireland currently predicts the recovery could take in excess of five years.

“In order to improve on this position, an effective, sustained and large-scale marketing approach will be required” he told the Gibbons the Oireachtas tourism committee. “This should begin as soon as the health situation allows.”

Brexit concerns

Gibbons also said that if a deal is not reached between London and Brussels regarding Brexit, a possible depreciation of sterling will make Ireland more expensive for travellers.

He added, “The other concern on the Northern Ireland front is that the research we conducted in France and Germany does indicate a level of confusion among consumers who pick up their papers and don’t know the politics that we have here and think it sounds like a lot of hassle going to Ireland and all that is going on at the border.

“It’s a small hassle, but enough for them to say I’ll leave it this year and maybe go next year when things have settled down.”