![\"\"](\"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/2.40382867.png\")
Tourism in rural Ireland is set to thrive this summer, but cities will suffer, F\u00e1ilte Ireland has said.<\/p>\nTourism in rural Ireland is set to thrive this summer, but cities will suffer, F\u00e1ilte Ireland has said.<\/p>\n
As Ireland gears up for another summer of staycations, rural destinations are offering the outdoor attractions people are seeking in light of the pandemic.<\/p>\n
But cities are set to \u201cstruggle\u201d and will continue to do so, a briefing of the tourism board heard on Friday.<\/p>\n
F\u00e1ilte Ireland\u2019s director of marketing Niall Tracey said: \u201cIt\u2019s going to be a bit of a year of two halves. We\u2019re going to have a summer where large parts of the country actually do very well.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause we know from our research that people really want to get out to the coast, they want to walk on beaches, they want to go up greenways, and they want to spend time outdoors predominantly.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo a lot of the country is going to open up really well.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut it\u2019s not going to be great everywhere. At the other end of the spectrum are cities, because cities do really well with international tourism.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople use cities for things like big matches, concerts, big events, none of which will be happening in the short term.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo while rural Ireland has actually got an awful lot of exactly what people are looking for, unfortunately the cities are struggling and are going to struggle.\u201d<\/p>\n
Part of the problem is that people are waiting to see how the lifting of Covid restrictions goes before deciding to book.<\/p>\n
Outdoor dining is set to resume on June 7, but indoor dining will only be allowed in hotels for guests.<\/p>\n
It is less clear when indoor dining will make a wider return, although T\u00e1naiste Leo Varadkar said this week that he hopes it will be \u201cearly July\u201d.<\/p>\n
F\u00e1ilte Ireland is hoping that increased clarity will bring increased demand.<\/p>\n
Mr Tracey said: \u201cAs regards indoor dining, I think particularly for cities, that definitely makes people a little bit more reluctant, to wait and see before they book.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe city experience isn\u2019t just the attractions or the shopping. It\u2019s also being able to go for a meal, head out for a couple of beers afterwards, the vibe of the city center.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can compensate for that, as I\u2019ve mentioned in parts of rural Ireland, when a hotel is potentially your accommodation base.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re hoping, we\u2019re expecting not only that reopening on the second of June will give a big boost, because people will then know other people going on holiday, and that creates its own momentum.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut also if Government are able to give a bit more clarity as regards some of the other elements of tourism and hospitality, when they will open, I think that clarity will definitely help.\u201d<\/p>\n