Irish tourism could be set for a surprise boost this year with the revelation in a survey that, as the recession bites and workers fear for their jobs, 72 per cent will not be taking a holiday abroad this year.
That is according to employment law consultancy Peninsula Ireland's survey, which also reveals that 65 per cent of employees think that taking any holidays would have an adverse affect on their job.
The survey also found that 61 per cent of Irish employees will be looking to take a holiday in Ireland this year to beat the effects of recession.
Alan Price, Head of Peninsula Ireland said today, "Irish employees are thinking twice before taking time off as the recession tightens the purse strings and makes them insecure in their job.
“The recession means workers are being forced to put holidays on hold. The current economic situation has forced employees to tighten their belts and, with the basic cost of living continually increasing and with people spending more on items such as food, they are cutting down their spending on luxury goods such as holidays,” said the appropriately-named Mr Price.
"With weekly reports of redundancies across a variety of sectors, employees have a continuing fear for their job security and many are choosing to think ahead and plan for the worst by increasing the amount they save.
“As Irish employees save more each month they are decreasing the amount of disposable income available and simply can't afford to go away. The number of redundancies across the board has also motivated employees to prove their worth to their employers amid fears of further job cuts. Many are choosing to stay in the office and prove themselves as a valued asset so that they can protect themselves from any future layoffs,” he concluded.
