The Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) has expressed ‘serious concerns’ about the ongoing drop in tourism expenditure by overseas visitors. According to the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO), there was a 9% drop in expenditure by overseas visitors in August, compared to the same month last year. The association warned this week that the decline is part of a broader trend, with overseas expenditure down over 13% in the year to date. This is part of a worrying decline in wider visitor spend throughout our tourism industry, as indicated by recent CSO figures.”ADVERTISEMENTThe IHF is the national organisation of the hotel-and-guesthouse sector in Ireland. “It is now essential that the government takes decisive action to put Irish tourism and hospitality on a more stable footing.”