Northern Ireland Economy Minister Diane Dodds has announced plans to allow hotels and other tourist accommodation to reopen from 20 July.

Stormont - Northern Ireland's Parliament © Tourism Northern Ireland

Diane Dodds said: “Covid-19 has presented an unprecedented challenge for our tourism industry, as it has for tourism markets around the world. I believe the time is right to provide the tourist accommodation sector with clarity about opening dates. I want to build upon the positive progress in managing the spread of the virus and begin to reopen our tourism industry in a safe and managed way."

The key dates agreed by the Northern Ireland Executive for reopening tourist accommodation are:

• 20 July 2020 – holiday and home parks; caravan sites; self-catering properties. As they are self-contained and may require less advance notice before opening, the opening times for these types of accommodation may be advanced to earlier than 20 July depending on scientific advice.
• 20 July 2020 – guesthouses; guest accommodation; B&Bs; hotels; hostels. The Northern Ireland Tourism Steering Group will be asked to work with the sector to explore what facilities and amenities can safely be made available by hotels.

Diane Dodds added: "Tourist accommodation will operate in a new, and challenging, world when it begins to emerge from Covid-19. We need to enable businesses to plan ahead to ensure social distancing and hygiene practices are in place and staff are trained. These practices will also be essential to reassure customers and employees that establishments are Covid-19 safe."

Giant’s Causeway © Tourism Northern Ireland

The Minister also stressed that progress on reopening will of course also depend on controlling the rate of transmission of the virus.

Further work is now under way by the Northern Ireland Executive to assess the potential to reopen pubs and restaurants and all other parts of the tourism sector.

Janet Redler, Chief Executive of Janet Redler Travel & Tourism, said: “It's great news that hotels and tourist accommodation in Northern Ireland now have a reopening date to plan for.

“Of course things could change, but this is a positive sign that the tourism industry will soon be able to take its first steps to recovery and, while things won’t be quite the same, there is hope that we will find a new normal which allows us all to travel once again, and to enjoy staying in hotels, guest houses and other accommodation as we did before.

“We are looking forward to bringing our tour groups to fabulous Northern Ireland just as soon as we can!” 

If you or your group would like to enjoy a tailor-made tour of Northern Ireland when things get back to normal, please do contact our friendly team today. At Janet Redler Travel & Tourism, we take the health and safety of all those who travel with us very seriously. Read more here about the steps we are taking.