ISSUE 2 - AUGUST 2021
ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION:
TOURISM & HOSPITALITY HAVE EXCITING FUTURES AHEAD Tourism and hospitality, including the hotel, food and beverage sectors, account for about 20% of total employment in Fingal. Along with commercial aviation, they are amongst the sectors hit hardest by the pandemic. In this Roundtable discussion three members of the Chamber consider the impact of the pandemic on the way people work and how the resulting changes in customer behaviour could affect revenues and business models, the likely pace of recovery for their sectors and the supports needed to ensure that tourism and hospitality thrive in the future. Q 1 The pandemic looks set to change the way many people work, reducing weekly footfall in the city centre and the main areas of office space and increasing the proportion of time people spend working at home. How will changes in customer behavoiours affect revenues and business models for the hospitality industry and what will be required to adapt to those changes? “As we begin to recover from the pandemic it is clear to see that outdoor dining, wellness and safety are key for guests for the future. We are seeing incredible demand for outdoor dining on our Patio and Terrace as people adapt to a more
continental approach to hospitality,” says Guy Thompson, General Manager, Castleknock Hotel. “There is a pent-up demand to eat out and socialize with friends in a safe, outdoor environment and people are happy to pay extra for quality surroundings and food and beverage offerings. Locally sourced, Irish produce is key as guests want quality but also have a strong urge to support local businesses. Menus and offerings will have to be continually reviewed to ensure they are seasonal and linking in with the people’s desire for wellness and a fresh approach to hospitality,” he adds.
Looking to the future, Thompson says that when the corporate travel and meeting business returns, “we expect a significant demand for ‘hybrid’ meetings and events, something we are committing significant investment to over the coming months with the aim of not just meeting but exceeding our guests’ expectations.” Tariq Salahuddin, owner of Indie Spice Restaurant Ltd, says that a return to full indoor dining needs to be in place, along with other incentives, to bring people out to spend money in restaurants and shops and to get back into their offices.
“Increasing international visitors is vital and opening up Dublin Airport and allowing safe and easy passage for inbound corporate and leisure guests has to be a priority for the Government in conjunction with the DAA, the airlines and hospitality industry bodies,” Guy Thompson, General Manager, Castleknock Hotel.
“If the last 18 months has taught us anything, it’s to adapt and embrace change. I think we are forever changed; I just don’t believe we will go back to the way we were before,” Alison Lynch (right), Blink Coffee Shop, with co-founder Lizzy Skelly on their opening day.
“Travel restrictions for tourists needs to be lifted,” he insists. “I was in the city other day and despite indoor dining being in operation almost everyone was outside. Vaccine restrictions have to go and everyone should be allowed access to indoor dining. Other than natural outdoor dining areas, all newly created outdoor dining areas should be closed and people need to get back into their offices, working as they did before COVID arrived. Exactly what future will hold for us we simply don’t know but we must do everything possible to return to the way we lived in the pre-COVID days.” Alison Lynch, who has worked in the coffee industry in Ireland and the UK for almost 30 years and is a co-founder of Blink Coffee Shop at the Malahide Marina, disagrees. “When I took my weekly flight home from London to Dublin on the 12 March 2020 I had no idea that the then unfolding pandemic would scupper my plans for building a coffee empire in the UK,” she says. Skip forward 18 months and I’m serving specialty coffee in Malahide with my co-pilot in BLINK, Lizzy Skelly, a fellow coffee lifer.
“A few years ago we attempted to do something together but the timing wasn’t right then. Now, with BLINK we’ve achieved our core goals – a femaleled coffee business that’s colourful, fun and kind, delivering specialty coffee and one that isn’t all stuffy and smashed avocado! If the last 18 months has taught us anything, it’s to adapt and embrace change. I think we are forever changed; I just don’t believe we will go back to the way we were before.” In terms of the hospitality sector Lynch thinks there will be three main outcomes. “Some businesses, unfortunately, will not survive; some will adapt and re-invent themselves; and lastly new propositions and offerings will emerge. The upside is that towns and neighbourhoods will finally get an injection of activity, local spending and footfall – things they have craved and needed for many years. “So I think the future is quiet bright for local neighbourhoods but they will need to adapt, of course. The emergence of ‘15 minute communities’ will be accompanied by more business services and local offices, the development of outdoor
spaces and streets, with gyms, salons, cafés, bars and reconfigured restaurants all seeing growth.” Q2 Do you think it likely that tourism in Fingal will recover to previous levels and, if so, how quickly? How badly has the pandemic disrupted the business model and, again, what more will be required to ensure this important industry gets back onto a sustainable footing? Lynch is confident about the future, but also emphasises the need for flexibility and a willingness to do things differently. “Absolutely business will recover, but the mix of businesses contributing to the pre-COVID figure will change,” she says. ‘Disruption’ is probably one of the most overused business buzz words of the last five years – in fact, the phrase ‘be careful what you wish for’ springs to mind because look at us now, globally ‘disrupted’ beyond recognition. “The first step for both businesses and business support bodies, therefore, is to accept change and to understand that the way we did things before doesn’t apply 100% now. Many countries with cold weather – from Helsinki to Berlin – have fantastic outdoor lives; we just need to plan and support it on all levels – and to be honest, we should have been doing that years ago. “So COVID has given this area a shot in the arm. But mostly all businesses need to be agile right now, they need faster responses and guidance. If we keep applying old rules to a new era we will paralyse the opportunities and changes required to the business models for survival and growth.
FINGAL CHAMBER - NETWORK MAGAZINE
FINGAL CHAMBER - NETWORK MAGAZINE
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ISSUE 2 - AUGUST 2021
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