The hospitality sector has received a welcome boost in recent weeks, with hotel and guesthouse bookings increasing for the summer months.
Bookings jumped to 25 per cent for June, 31 per cent for July and 27 per cent for August according to the latest figures from the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF).
The representative group is calling for the Government to facilitate the return of vaccinated international travellers, which would further improve the position of its members who have been closed for the best part of a year due to Covid-19 restrictions.
IHF president Elaina Fitzgerald Kane is calling on the Government to make it clear to international visitors that Ireland is "open for business this summer", similar to moves made by other European countries, such as Greece, Portugal and Malta.
Ms Fitzgerald said the adoption of the EU's digital green certificate for travel within the bloc would "send a very clear signal that Ireland is reopening for tourism when it is safe to travel and will facilitate the necessary lead times for planning holidays and business travel".
Welcoming the recent decision by the EU to allow fully vaccinated visitors from outside the bloc to holiday in EU member states this summer, Ms Fitzgerald said the Government should implement the agreement at the earliest opportunity, saying it "would allow vaccinated travellers from other key markets such as the USA, who typically travel in the autumn".
"This would be very important in extending the season for many Irish tourism businesses, while also supporting the recovery in Dublin, where occupancy levels lag the rest of the country," she adds.
The IHF also highlighted the importance of Government supports remaining into 2022, as despite the positive news for the summer months, the group continues to expect a slow recovery for the remainder of the year.
