Housing Ukrainians long-term in hotels could “change the whole tourism landscape of the country”, the Irish Tourism Industry Confederation has said. 

Roughly 80,000 Ukrainians have moved to Ireland since the invasion of their country and the Government has struggled to find suitable accommodation for them all.

Some have been temporarily housed in tents, while others have been put up in hotels.

Many of these hotels are located in tourist towns and industry insiders say this has led to fewer people visiting these places.

“Fáilte Ireland estimates that one in five tourism bedrooms nationally are now contracted to the Government for humanitarian reasons,” Irish Tourism Industry Confederation Eoghan O'Mara Walsh told The Hard Shoulder.

“So, you can imagine that’s a hugely destabilising impact on the tourism economy.

“You can imagine if one in five cranes were taken out of a construction site.

“So, it’s a big issue and one we’re very worried about.”

Mr O'Mara Walsh said hotels are paid to house Ukrainains but he is concerned about the policy’s impact on other sectors of the tourism economy.

“It’s… the attractions, the restaurants, the pubs, the tourist shops, the bike hire companies,” he said.

“There are tourism towns up and down the length and breadth of the country without an adequate supply of tourism beds and, therefore, with very little tourism activity.

“That has very serious economic consequences for towns and regions throughout the country.”

Mr O'Mara Walsh said the tourism industry had been raising their concerns since 2022 and now believe the situation is a long-term solution to the problem of sourcing housing for refugees.

“We’re 18 months down the track and the situation is incrementally getting worse and less and less tourism accommodation is available,” he said.

“I think the thing to remember is that tourism is the largest indigenous industry the country has.

“It’s the biggest regional employer; there’s big swathes of the country without FDI, without multinationals, without manufacturing and tourism is often the only show in town.”

Last month, the Government announced social welfare payments for Ukrainians would be reduced to the same rate as that given to people in Direct Provision.

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Main image: Killarney. Image: Ognyan Yosifov / Alamy Stock Photo