Hoteliers in Galway are reporting brisk business, ahead of what is traditionally the busiest week in the city’s tourism calendar.
The Galway Races get underway on Monday but are closed to the public. Despite the impact of public health restrictions on attendance at Ballybrit, accommodation providers say they are seeing many racing regulars returning to the city this year.
The general manager at the Galway Bay Hotel in Salthill said it is running at almost full occupancy from now until the end of August.
Dan Murphy said this was well ahead of initial forecasts for the hotel sector in the midst of the lockdown two months ago. But the homegrown boost for hotels and B&Bs cannot mask problems elsewhere in the tourism industry.