Clare Tourism Businesses Preparing For "Armageddon" Following Disappointing Summer

Clare FM

Clare's small business owners are said to be preparing for "Armageddon" this winter following a tourist season that's reportedly left a lot to be desired. Providers dependent on tourism are preparing for the dreaded quiet season after a combination of poor weather, accommodation shortages and spiralling operating costs led to a sharp drop in revenue this year. For a host of hotels, restaurants, cafes, pubs and tourist attractions in Clare and particularly along the county's coast, summer is the most critical period of the year. Tourist traffic into Ireland saw an increase in June and July of this year with 1.3 million foreign visitors visiting the country across the two months. Despite this, the majority of tourism businesses have reported a summer that failed to meet expectations, with 53% claiming to have fewer customers than last year, according to Fáilte Ireland's Tourism Barometer. Met Éireann has confirmed it was the country's coldest summer since 2015, with 14.5 degrees being the average temperature. On top of this, Fáilite Ireland's research has previously found that one in five tourism beds in Clare are accommodating Ukrainian refugees or asylum seekers, which is said to be leading to a loss of €1.1 billion in revenue annually. Liam O'Brien of The Doolin Ferry Company says this summer was the worst in his memory and the accommodation shortage is to the fore of the issues plaguing business owners. Responding to a survey, business owners have said the main factors they believe led to the unsatisfactory summer were bad weather, which was cited by more than half, as well as customers' lack of disposable income. Issues around tourist accommodation were referenced by four in 10, while rising operating costs including payroll, energy and insurance were frequently raised as concerns. Owner of Durty Nelly's in Bunratty and Vice-Chair of the Clare Tourism Advisory Board, Maurice Walsh says tourists aren't staying at his establishment past dinnertime due to the scarcity of beds in the area. All eyes are now on Budget 2025, as providers are keeping their fingers crossed that long-sought supports will be implemented with haste. The Irish Tourism Industry Confederation's pre-Budget submission contains three key asks; the restoration of the hospitality VAT rate to 9%, the abolition of the 32 million passenger cap at Dublin Airport coupled with the increased utilisation of regional airports such as Shannon, and for the tourism budget to be brought up to €200 million. Lahinch hotelier Michael Vaughan insists as the winter is a particularly challenging period for providers, survival for many hinges on State support.