But a worst-case scenario, it says tourism may not recover to 2019 levels until 2029.
“Tourism is Ireland’s largest indigenous industry and biggest regional employer, and Government must support it during these difficult and dark days,” said ITIC Chairperson Ruth Andrews, launching its ‘Tourism Roadmap for Recovery’ at a virtual conference.
To do that, measures such as offering future visitors free Covid insurance, extending the 9pc VAT rate to 2025, doubling the Covid Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS) for tourism businesses and replacing the ‘Stay and Spend scheme with a staycation voucher are critical, ITIC says.
‘Stay and Spend’ was “flawed from the outset” and should be redesigned and relaunched as “a consumer-friendly, upfront household voucher”, said its CEO, Eoghan O’Mara Walsh.
Fáilte Ireland: tourism at low ebb but it can spearhead recovery In 2019, 9.7m overseas tourists visited Ireland. Picture: Dan Linehan
Tue, 12 Jan, 2021 - 13:50
Noel Baker
The chief executive of Fáilte Ireland has admitted that domestic tourism is at a low ebb due to the Covid-19 pandemic but stressed the need for the sector to spearhead a recovery once the crisis has passed.
Writing in the 2019 Fáilte Ireland annual report, Paul Kelly said it is not just a review of last year, it looks back on what seems now like another era . This report is written at a low ebb, after a high point, he said.