The accommodation crisis that is hitting tourism hard is now biting on sport.
A report in this morning’s Irish Independent says that the Kerry Senior Hurlers are having to travel up and down from Kerry to Dublin in a single day for their 5 PM throw in to play in the final of the Joe McDonagh Cup.
The same county has had to pre-pay a sum of €13,000 to secure accommodation for the 45 strong travelling group that would be playing should they make it to the All Ireland Football Quarter Final in two weeks’ time.
If they lose to Limerick in tomorrow’s Munster Final they will have to bet on making it through the back door or negotiate with Limerick to take the rooms off their hands.
It has become a ‘Joe Duffy’ subject to give out about the price of accommodation and car hire.
Travel costs have been hit by a perfect storm. Car hire is explained by the main companies having reduced their fleet during the pandemic and then being unable to replace due to the shortage of cars created by the shortage of components.
There are reasons too for the accommodation crisis.
Around 30,000 Ukrainian refugees have come to Ireland since the country was invaded by Russia, as many as half requiring accommodation in hotels. This alone has taken up much of what would be deemed extra capacity and as we move into peak season for international and domestic tourism that has created a pinch point.
This has been exacerbated by staff shortages being felt across the workforce.
We know of one prominent hotel in Dublin with over 100 rooms that has to keep 14 of them empty because they cannot get enough staff to turn them around on a daily basis.
If things get any worse we will have to go back to the old Féile idea of travelling and staying in the homes of the teams you are playing against.
Sport for Business Partners
