Hotels and tourist accommodation in Northern Ireland will be allowed to reopen on 20 July. The Northern Ireland Executive has confirmed the move as part of the relaxation of coronavirus lockdown restrictions. The move has been welcomed by the Northern Ireland Hotel Federation (NIHF) as a "step forward for the industry". Last week, the executive said hotels could start taking bookings again but did not say when they could reopen. This was met with anger by many in the hospitality trade.
Announcing the decision on Monday afternoon, Economy Minister Diane Dodds said she believed it was the right time to provide the tourist accommodation sector with clarity about opening dates following "unprecedented challenges for our tourism industry". "I want to build upon the positive progress in managing the spread of the virus and begin to re-open our tourism industry in a safe and managed way," she said. Tourist accommodation re-opening:
Holiday parks, self-catering properties and caravan parks may open earlier than 20 July, said the minister, depending on scientific advice. It is not yet clear whether bars, restaurants and other facilities in hotels will be allowed to open to residents from 20 July. In the Republic of Ireland, hotel bars will remain closed when hotels reopen on 20 July. The hotels will reopen with limited occupancy and social distancing measures will continue. Ref: bbc.com Comments are closed.
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