Sarah Mooney
Irish spending on hospitality and staycations surged in June, as consumers shelled out in hotels, restaurants and pubs.
Consumers spent over €90,000 an hour at pubs throughout the month, with another €288,000 an hour spent on outdoor dining in restaurants, according to AIB’s Spend Trend report.
In pubs, those under the age of 25 recorded the highest increase in spending — up 404 per cent on the previous month. Those between 35 and 44 recorded the smallest increase, up 239 per cent.
Pub spending surged the most in Waterford, up 651 per cent in June, followed by Mayo, which recorded a 492 per cent increase. Meanwhile, Dubliners spent an average of €30,000 an hour in pubs.
In restaurants, those over the age of 65 accounted for the biggest spending increase, up 51 per cent on May. Cavan saw the biggest increase in restaurant spending, with a rise of 30 per cent.
Staycation season
Overall, consumer spending was up seven per cent in June as restrictions eased, with the busiest day of spending recorded by AIB being June 25th.
As this season's staycations began, spending in hotels soared 225 per cent and restaurant spending increased 22 per cent, while pub and off-licence spending was up 304 per cent.
Those over the age of 65 recorded the biggest increase in hotel spending in June, up 478 per cent on May, meanwhile those under the age of 25 recorded the smallest increase, up 139 per cent.
Consumers flocked to pubs, restaurants and hotels throughout the month
“Having partially reopened in June, the hospitality sector saw a surge in spending, albeit from a low base, as consumers flocked to pubs, restaurants and hotels throughout the month,” John Brennan, head of SME at AIB said.
“This was a welcome increase in spending for businesses after many months of being closed. Society’s support for those in the hospitality sector, as well as all other sectors impacted by Covid-19, will be critical to the recovery of these businesses as we emerge from the pandemic and slowly return to normality.’’
Data in the AIB Spend Trend report was compiled from AIB debit and credit card spending, from over 54 million transactions between June 1st and 30th.
