Budget Vat rate cut demanded as hotels predict winter crisis

A new survey indicates that almost nine out of ten hotel rooms will be vacant in November

Almost all hotel rooms will lie empty over the winter, leading the tourism industry to call for a cut in the Vat rate. Picture: Getty

The government is set to come under intense pressure to cut the 13.5 per cent Vat rate for the hospitality and tourism industries, as a new survey shows that 88 per cent of hotel rooms will lie empty in November.

An internal survey of members of the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF), seen by the Business Post, has predicted that occupancy rates across Ireland will fall to just 12 per cent this November, with the rate ...