Hospitality Scores In €8m An Hour Spend

Spending in Ireland’s hospitality sector continued to grow last month as the public returned to pubs and restaurants.   Spending was up 30% in hotels, 28% in pubs and 10% in restaurants, as the hospitality sector continued to reopen to include indoor dining for people who are fully vaccinated.
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The busiest day for spending was July 30, the Friday after indoor dining resumed, with consumers spending more than €8 million an hour in shops and businesses.

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According to the AIB Spend Trend, consumers spent an average of €395,000 an hour in pubs and restaurants throughout July.

Spending on airline tickets was up 19% as people started to travel internationally again.

Spending in the retail sector was down on the previous month with clothing stores down 8%, electronic stores down 2% and homewares stores down 9%.

The border counties recorded the biggest increase in restaurant spending in July, with consumers in Donegal, Monaghan and Leitrim reporting a 15% increase on June, while those from Cavan had a 14% rise.
 
John Brennan, head of SME banking at AIB, said: “The good weather in July, combined with the reopening and increased rollout of the vaccine, has seen consumer spending in the hospitality sector continue to rise for another month, which is positive to see.
 
“Despite the return of international travel in July, consumers spent 30% more on hotels than the previous month, indicating many are still opting to stay in Ireland for their holiday this year – a positive development for businesses right across the country.”

Overall consumer spending continued to rise in July, up 1% on June.

​REF: Hospitalityenews.ie