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Park may close until 2021

The owner of Tayto Park hopes that the theme park will reopen in August - but fears that it may not until April 2021 due to the coronavirus outbreak. taytopk0320

Prior to the Covid-19 emergency, Tayto Park owner Raymond Coyle had pencilled in this Saturday for the reopening of the park, which generates around €19m in revenues per annum and attracts over 500,000 visitors.

Mr Coyle said in an interview that he hoped that the park may be in a position to reopen in August but conceded that it may now be the following April.

He said Tayto Park has already stalled the recruitment of 360 seasonal workers for the park's peak summer months.

He said that he was not qualified to say when the park would reopen.

"We will have to be guided by the HSE, Government and the developments around the coronavirus," he said.

Guestline webinar

A webinar is being hosted by Guestline and Hospitalityunited.club to-day (Thursday) on how hotels / hospitality businesses can respond to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak and prepare for recovery.

Here is the link and it is open to everyone

https://www.guestline.com/blogs/guestline-join-hospitalityunited-club-to-host-webinar-on-covid-19-recovery-planning/

Restaurants welcome planning changes

Restaurants have welcomed legislative changes which will allow them to operate as takeaways without planning permission. eoghanmurphy0329

The changes will save jobs and livelihoods, the Restaurants Association of Ireland , has said.

Eoghan Murphy, Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, relaxed planning rules to allow businesses to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Under the changes, restaurants will no longer be required to get planning permission to operate as takeaways and supermarkets whose hours are limited by planning won't need to request permission to change these.

Hostelworld suspends dividend

Global accommodation booking platform Hostelworld has suspended its final dividend in respect of last year as holidaymaker bookings continue to fall.

The Dublin-headquartered company has been badly impacted by the spread of the coronavirus.

Hostelworld expects to incur an earnings hit of €5m for the first three months of this year, up from its early prediction of €3m - €4m, according to a trading update from the group.

The group's net cash position remains strong, with over €20m of immediately available cash on hand. It has no debt obligations.

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Special provisions for hotels and restaurants in new Covid 19 curbs

Hotels can continue to offer 'essential services' and restaurants can sell take-away meals under new measures introduced by the Government to delay the spread of Covid covid19 19.Theatres, clubs, gyms and leisure centres, hairdressers, betting shops, marts, markets, casinos, bingo halls, libraries, and other similar outlets are to shut;

Hotels are to limit occupancy to non-social and non-tourist reasons;

All cafes and restaurants are to limit supply to take- away food or delivery;

A €3.7bn financial package was also announced in order to soften the blow for the economy, as Social Protection Regina Doherty said that her previous prediction of 400,000 job losses now looks “conservative”.

The package includes:

A wage subsidy scheme will see the State fund up to 70% of pay, with a maximum weekly tax-free payment of €410 per employee;

Rates for the Covid-19 pandemic unemployment payment will rise to €350 per week;

Enhanced illness payment for those required to self-isolate or those diagnosed with coronavirus, will be increased from €305 to €350.

Exemptions from normal planning rules to allow restaurants and cafes to provide takeaway and delivery services during the coronavirus pandemic have been approved by the Government.