The White Horse hotel Derry
But to date has yet been set for when hotels, bars and restaurants can officially re-open to the public.
Selina Horshi, who is managing director of the White Horse Hotel on Derry’s Clooney Road, has told BBC Radio Foyle that without a reopening date, and other key information, yesterday’s announcement by the Executive “is a little bit confusing”.
“We are in a situation this morning where we have to take a decision; do we bring someone off furlough so they can start processing bookings?
“Will there be any bookings coming through?,” she says.
Hotels need much more guidance, she says, including how many rooms they can make available.
And she says hotels also need information on what measures need to be introduced to help keep guests safe.
“But at the end of the day it was a positive,” said Selina Horshi.
“It’s the first time we actually heard hotels mentioned by the executive specifically within their plan.
“At least we know they are thinking about us,” she added.
The hotel industry in the North of Ireland fear some hotels may never reopen again the longer the lockdown restrictions remain in place.
There are also concerns that 50,000 jobs in the hospitality sector are at risk from the lockdown as hotels, bars and restaurants will not be able to allow as many people onto their premises because of social distancing measures.
The hospitality sector will be the last to open under the Executive’s Pathway to Recovery five stage plan.
This could mean they may not open to the public until either late July or August depending on the ‘R’ (reproduction) rate of the virus.
On Thursday, it was revealed the ‘R’ rate in the North of Ireland has climbed closer to the number one which shows the virus is still spreading in the community as the lockdown restrictions start to ease.
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