Northern Ireland hotels welcome 20 July reopening date

The Northern Ireland Hotels Federation (NIHF) has welcomed the announcement from the executive that hotels will be allowed to open on 20 July.

The move was described as "a step forward for the industry", although the NIHF added that there was more work to be done around the details of reopening.

A statement from the trade body said: "The safety of our staff and guests will be paramount in this process. Having an agreed date will help us to plan, promote and give businesses the opportunity to assess their viability.

"The Federation will be working with industry partners, government and tourism agencies to restore the visitor economy and look forward to continuing to contribute to the Northern Ireland economy."

Economy minister Diane Dodds announced the date yesterday and said "the time is right to provide the tourist accommodation sector with clarity about opening dates".

From 20 July guesthouses, accommodation, B&Bs, hotels and hostels will be able to reopen. Holiday and home parks, caravan sites and self-catering properties may be able to reopen earlier.

The minister added, however, that the dates will be conditional on the continued containment of the spread of Covid-19. Further work is under way to assess the potential to reopen pubs, restaurants and other parts of the tourism sector.

She added: "Enabling accommodation businesses to generate essential revenue will help to protect individuals and livelihoods which support families and communities across Northern Ireland."

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