Hospitality and drinks businesses in Louth generate €53m for local economy

Hospitality and drinks businesses in Louth generate €53 millon for the local economy and enable 2,682 jobs in the county, according to the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland (DIGI).

This accounts for 5.4% of all employment in the county, which is slightly below the national county average of 5.8%.

The number of pubs in Louth however, has decreased significantly in the past 12 years, according to a survey carried out by DIGI.

On LMFM radio it was reported that between 2005 and 2017, the number of pubs in the county went from 227 down to 180. This represents a 20% decrease, slightly higher than the national average decrease of 17%.

Commenting on the decline in the number of pubs, Padraig Cribben, Chief Executive Officer, Vintners’ Federation of Ireland and member of DIGI, said:

"The sharp decline in the number of pubs is worrying and is further evidence of the need to monitor the industry and ensure the necessary supports are in place to reverse this trend."

In a further study commissioned by the organisation, it was found that Louth’s drinks and hospitality businesses are highly vulnerable to a hard or ‘no deal’ Brexit.

Rosemary Garth, Irish Distillers' Communications and Corporate Affairs Director and Chair of DIGI, said

“In many parts of Louth, drinks, hospitality and tourism businesses are the primary and sometimes only employers. This makes these areas highly vulnerable to economic shocks, like Brexit.

“If a hard or no deal Brexit occurs and sterling devalues further, British tourists will look to save their money rather than spend it.

"That means fewer holidays and a smaller budget when they travel. Considering the British are our single biggest tourism market, this is a significant problem for rural areas that completely rely on foreign spend to power their local economy.

"Without a way to offset this decreased trade, some towns and villages could face business closures and job losses not unlike those of the recession.”