Reports that some four-star hotels in Dublin are quoting prices of nearly €400 for a one-night stay might mislead us into thinking we should let the good times roll. But we would be mistaken. If we add hugely disproportionate charges to a recovering tourist market, we might do well in the short term. But in the long term, they will come back to bite us.
Certainly, there is pent-up demand among visitors to enjoy everything Ireland has to offer but accommodation prices, car hire shortages, car hire prices, and the perpetual difficulty of finding staff represent a four-way threat to the vitality of a sector central to the country’s economic wellbeing.
A report from the Tourism Advisory Group, established by Fáilte Ireland, warns that tour operators are “scrambling” to find beds, with pricing proving a major challenge, particularly around weekends.
Capacity issues are exacerbated by the need to accommodate refugees displaced by the war in Ukraine, with many three-star properties, in particular, committing to three- and six-month contracts providing emergency accommodation.
40,000 staffing vacancies
A Fáilte Ireland report earlier this year estimated there were 40,000 staffing vacancies across the tourism and holiday sector and that staffing and skill shortages were unprecedented. Many key vacancies exist for middle and front-of-house management. Such posts require a level of experience, interpersonal skills, and business knowledge that is often underestimated and is in demand right across Europe.
For many years, the tourism industry has often relied on “casual” employment with no well-defined career structure but, if the pandemic has taught us anything, it is such short-term and opportunistic thinking cannot carry us forward.
Now, despite the sector offering increased salaries, progression opportunities and flexible work patterns, and targeting retirees, parents, and younger people as potential recruits, it is struggling to fill jobs..Readmore
