State announces €30m for tourism-related businesses

The Government has announced €30 million in funding for visitor attractions, activity operators and tourism accommodation providers seeking to deal with the impact of the Covid crisis.

The funding forms part of a €55 million allocation promised earlier this year for the tourism business continuity scheme.

To date, there have been three phases of the programme already announced with details of phases 4 and 5 revealed on Friday, which will allow businesses to keep afloat during autumn and winter.

Phase 4 will support eligible visitor attractions and outdoor activity operators, including tourism golf courses and boat tour operators. The maximum grant amount is €800,000.

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Accommodation

Phase 5 will apply to eligible Fáilte Ireland approved tourism accommodation providers such as hotels, guesthouses, hostels, holiday camps, caravan and camping parks, self-catering and B&Bs. The maximum grant amount is €800,000.

Both schemes, which are operated by Fáilte Ireland, will open for applications on August 5th and close on September 17th.

"Covid-19 restrictions, a shorter season and reliance on the domestic market has resulted in significant losses for tourism businesses within these sectors. Visitor attractions are one of the primary drivers of tourism demand while the accommodation sector supports tens of thousands of jobs and has a considerable wider economic impact within the destination area," said Fáilte Ireland chief executive Paul Kelly.