Irish people have splashed out millions on hotel vouchers this Christmas, but actual bookings have tanked as uncertainty over Covid travel restrictions continues.
Less than one in ten hotel rooms across the country (8pc) are now booked for January, according to the latest industry survey from the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF).
Even fewer are booked for February (6pc), following on from historically low occupancy levels of just 25pc for December.
Irish hotels are now facing their harshest ever start to a new year , says IHF Chief Executive Tim Fenn.
Today s easing of inter-county travel restrictions led to a marginal increase in bookings over the past week, he says, but the overall trend is grim.