Surge in ‘staycation’ tourists offers lifeline to NI hospitality trade

Tourists deciding against air travel during the coronavirus pandemic have been described as “vital” to the Northern Ireland economy.
By The Newsroom
Published 19th Jul 2020, 18:41 GMT
Updated 19th Jul 2020, 18:44 GMT
Bar supervisor Jamie Devlin for the Thirsty Goat, Belfast. Bars, restaurants and hotels have benefited from holidaymakers staying at home during the pandemicBar supervisor Jamie Devlin for the Thirsty Goat, Belfast. Bars, restaurants and hotels have benefited from holidaymakers staying at home during the pandemic
Bar supervisor Jamie Devlin for the Thirsty Goat, Belfast. Bars, restaurants and hotels have benefited from holidaymakers staying at home during the pandemic

Colin Neill, chief executive of Hospitality Ulster, said the so-called “staycation market” could prove a “lifeline” for the hard-hit industry.

Brendan Duddy, who owns a number of hotels in Londonderry, said he has noticed a recent “uptick” in business fuelled mostly by tourists from the island of Ireland.

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“We have the Holiday Inn and the City Hotel. We have noticed an uptick because of that recently, big time.

“We have had people from all over Ireland – from as far away as Cork but also from all over the rest of Northern Ireland.

“They are coming here to stay because they can go to Donegal, they can go to Inishowen, and they can also head up to the North Coast to the likes of Portstewart and Portrush, or maybe up to the Giant’s Causeway.

“We are seeing people coming up and staying for three and four days to take in all that sort of stuff but using Derry as a sort of base. There’s plenty to see and do in the city as well – especially now with the restaurants open.

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“I’ve been surprised by the geographical mix that we’ve been getting over the last two weeks.

“People are choosing to stay at home, big time, and take two, three and four-day breaks.

“I’ve just had this discussion with a travel agent and we’re definitely seeing people who might have went on a foreign holiday instead choosing to stay at home.

“It’s been amazing to tell you the truth, far more than expected.”

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Mr Neill said: “We are seeing that (an upturn in the number of stay-at-home holidaymakers in Northern Ireland) but it’s important to say that one swallow doesn’t make a summer.

“We’re hoping that it will help fill some of the gap – it won’t fill it all because obviously we don’t have all of the family-type venues that we would normally have open, but we are seeing a trend here.”

He continued: “It is vital actually that we capture the staycation market because it could prove a real lifeline. With the reduction in VAT and other measures, it’s part of a mixture of stuff that we need to survive.

“Nobody wants to go for a trip and just stay in a room. Where you eat and where you go for a drink forms a big part of people’s holidays.

“People want places to go and things to do and, especially with our weather being what it is, indoor spaces always form part of that.”

Related topics:Colin NeillPeopleIrelandVAT