There are around 9,000 jobs available in hotels and guesthouses around Ireland, according to the Irish Hotels Federation.

The Groups is urging people to apply for any of a wide range of opportunities on offer, insisting “there’s no better career” than working in Irish tourism.

There were 270,000 people employed in the Irish tourism industry before the pandemic began, with 70% of the jobs located outside Dublin.

Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) President Denyse Campbell told Newstalk there are jobs available to suit any lifestyle.

“If you like working with people, there’s no better career than working in Irish hotels and tourism and hospitality,” she said.

“It is ideal for anyone really that is looking at their future career options because it’s flexible. We offer such flexibility. A range of roles are available that suit all cohorts, from parents to people returning to the workforce that maybe took some time off through the pandemic or are maybe seeking a career change as well.”

Ms Campbell said around 25% of the jobs in Irish tourism are in hotels and guesthouses.

“In 2019, tourism would have employed 270,000 and we would say about 65,000 people were directly employed in hotels and guesthouses throughout Ireland,” she said.

“We would say now that figure is probably back up, after the pandemic, to about 55,000 or 56,000 people.

“So, we have vacancies of about 9,000 approximately in hotels and guesthouses around Ireland.”

She said there are jobs available all around the country.

A national database of live opportunities in the tourism industry is available at tourismcareers.ie.