Fáilte Ireland, the National Tourism Development Authority of Ireland estimates that more than 160,000 tourism jobs have been lost this year.
Fáilte Ireland is an agency that promotes tourism and works to sustain Ireland as a competitive destination.
The early estimate of the State agency was included in the presentation, which included insights from this year and forecasts for 2021.
Fáilte Ireland has warned that the current decline in overnight stays is a “reversal to levels of tourism demand not seen for 20 years”. Caeman Wall, Head of Research at Fáilte Ireland, said that tourism is in crisis.
It also warned that if the tourism intensity is low, it will pose significant challenges to other local businesses that depend on tourist demand.