Europe

To save Ireland’s tourism industry, govt urged to allow travel distance of 20 km

Inishmurray County Sligo ireland

The Irish government is being urged to consider a move to one-metre social distancing and to allow people travel beyond 20 km of their homes from June 29 to save Ireland’s tourism industry.

A delayed reopening of schools, allowing bars and pubs to welcome customers from July 20 and removing the two-week self-isolation period for visitors from “safe” destinations are also being suggested.

The issues are highlighted in an eight-point list submitted to the government by Ireland’s new Tourism Recovery Taskforce (TRT), which has been charged with preparing a Recovery Plan for an industry devastated by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Cabinet is being asked to consider:

  • A one-metre social-distancing rule workable for pubs, hotels and restaurants
  • Delayed reopening of schools to August 31 to extend the domestic tourist season
  • Cut VAT rates for the general hospitality sector
  • Accelerate Phase 4 recreational reopenings to Phase 3, or June 29, under the lockdown easing plan – allowing hotels and accommodation to open earlier
  • Accelerate Phase 5 social re-openings to Phase 4, or July 20, allowing pubs to reopen a month earlier
  • Allow people to travel for domestic holidays from June 29
  • Allow schools the option of taking the week-long October mid-term break during one of two weeks (rather than just one week)
  • Remove the two-week self-isolation requirement for travellers from countries deemed ‘safe’ due to low infection rates

In its plea to fast-track the easing of lockdown restrictions once safe to do so, the TRT stressed that common sense measures taken now could help save tens of thousands of Irish jobs.

Without them, it says, recovery could take months or even years.

Tourism and spin-off sectors employ 260,000 or one-in-ten people within the Irish economy – many of them in rural and regional areas.