Irish rugby fans and race enthusiasts travelling to Cardiff and Cheltenham could face cancellation fees for hotel bookings because of the threat to both sporting occasions posed by the foot-and-mouth outbreak.
With this weekend's Ireland-Wales rugby match at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium postponed and questions being raised about whether the Cheltenham race festival will go ahead next month, hotels in both areas are bracing themselves for the worst.
The secretary of the British Association of Hotel Representatives, Ms Diana Hall, said hotels were likely to implement different policies on cancellations regardless of the way rooms were booked. "Some will be completely ruthless," she said. "Others could say they will hold over a hotel room if people want to come back another weekend."
The PostHouse Hotel Pentwyn in Cardiff is one of hundreds in the city handling bookings for Irish rugby fans. Its manager, Ms Jennifer Pascoe, said she would try to help guests change their bookings if the match was re-scheduled. However, with all rooms for the rugby weekend paid for in advance, Ms Pascoe said if people cancelled they would not be refunded.
"We will try to do our best to help people to try and change their bookings if the match is rescheduled. We will try to call people to arrange this and people can call us in the meantime," Ms Pascoe said.
At the Marriott Hotel in Cardiff, where up to 200 Irish fans were expected this weekend, operations manager Mr Colin Badcock said the postponement of the match was a "great disappointment". He said the hotel had decided to be "sensible and not upset people" by charging cancellation fees. "We will try to rearrange bookings, but people won't face cancellation fees."
Mr Simon Quarrell, general manager of the Thistle Hotel in Cheltenham, said a contingency plan had not yet been put in place if the Cheltenham Festival was postponed. Race fans could incur a "small charge" if rooms could not be relet or were cancelled, Mr Quarrell said.
Mr Richard Price, general manager of the Carlton Hotel in Cheltenham, said guests had paid a 50 per cent booking fee for rooms during the festival.
He said hoteliers were discussing contingency plans but if race-goers cancelled bookings they could be charged about 25 per cent of the cost of the room.
Irish Ferries has said it will refund tickets to rugby fans scheduled to travel to Saturday's match in Wales.
In Dublin the Irish Travel Agents' Association said the decision not to go ahead with the Irish/Welsh match would create serious financial difficulties for Irish supporters and travel agents. "Monies already paid by supporters to travel agents have been passed to airlines, hoteliers and other suppliers of services. On receipt of returned funds from the airlines and hoteliers travel agents will immediately refund supporters."