The number of people working in the hotel industry has not decreased despite difficulties in the tourism sector, a survey has found.
Tourism training and development agency CERT said 72 per cent of hoteliers surveyed indicated they had maintained staff levels in the last year, and some had hired extra staff.
Sixty-eight per cent of those surveyed said they changed their business strategy in response to the expected downturn in the industry after the foot-and-mouth crisis and the events of September 11th in the US.
Of those operators who changed their tactics over 58 per cent reduced prices, with some operators reporting price reductions of up to 20 per cent.
Hotels which had previously relied on the US market and coach tours in particular were worst affected by the impact of events in 2001. Hotels which did not rely on these market segments have experienced an increase in business, the survey found.
On Monday, a survey published by the Irish Tourist Industry Confederation showed a decrease of 40 per cent in the number of coach tours from the US. It also showed that the number of American tourists visiting Ireland was at its lowest level since 1996.
Reacting to today's survey, CERT Chairman Mr Eamonn McKeon said: "We are encouraged by the findings relating to employment levels and while it has been a very difficult year so far, industry is reasonably confident of a better high season and second half of the year."
The survey was prepared by CHL Consulting Group and commissioned by CERT as part of its Tourism Business and Employment Survey 2002.
