The re-instatement of pound-for-pound marketing grants from Bord

Faite would benefit the north west in the context of the new ceasefire, Mr Brian McEniff, managing director of the Brian McEniff

Hotel Group said yestereday. Speaking at the opening of the Yeats

Country Club leisure centre at Rosses Point, Co Sligo, Mr McEniff said the grants were needed to enable the tourism industry to recover from this year's downturn in tourism. "Here in the north west, the occupancy levels in the hotels are down somewhere between three per cent to ten per cent on last year's figures and, from taking to other hoteliers, it appears that this pattern is being repeated elsewhere.

. . it appears that holiday makers are booking their holidays ever later and this means they are more open to be influenced by a strong marketing campaign," he said.