Hotels and BBs report an up and down Easter

HOME HOLIDAYS:EASTER, THE traditional start of the domestic holiday season, brought mixed fortunes this year, with unfilled beds at higher-end hotels and no-vacancy signs outside some budget establishments. BBs were said to be quiet, while shops and restaurants in holiday areas did well.

After two bad summers and a run of dismal recent figures, the home-holiday sector was looking anxiously for signs of green shoots ahead of summer.

Fáilte Ireland is predicting that 61 per cent of Irish people will take a short break at home this year, up 5 per cent on 2009, as the recession hits spending on foreign holidays. Detailed figures won’t be ready for a few weeks, but the tourism body says Easter could generate up to 50,000 overseas visits, with revenue of about €25 million.

Ashford Castle, in Co Mayo, was full over Easter, according to sales and marketing manager Paula Carroll, but was slower than usual to reach capacity. “The lead-in time for bookings was very tight, making it very difficult to predict in advance how things will go,” she said. The breakdown of 65-70 per cent home visitors and 30-35 per cent overseas visitors was little different from last Easter.

In Co Clare, Gregans Castle Hotel, in the Burren, didn’t fill for the Easter holiday but reported a busy dining room, driven by local demand and holiday-home owners. “There was a lot of last-minute activity but nothing like in other Easters, when you could have sold the same room three times over,” said co-owner Frederieke McMurray.

In Co Galway, the Connemara Coast Hotel wasn’t keen to disclose occupancy rates but said there had been a big increase in domestic visitors. “Families with children are choosing to holiday at home, but they’re leaving their booking late,” a manager said.

The Kilkenny Ormonde Hotel was full, with queues for the breakfast room and the kids’ club, according to a visitor who was there over Easter.

Many hotels reported better-than-average bar business on Good Friday because of the Munster-Leinster rugby match.