| Insight Comment You can sense the frustration across the industry. People are effectively been told to avoid gatherings but the hospitality industry is not being compensated for the subsequent drop in business. The Chancellor is going to have to sort out financial aid ASAP. |
The Chancellor Rishi Sunak has started talks with UK hospitality representatives to discuss the rapid spread of the Omicron Covid-19 variant and its impact on the hospitality industry.
Sunak is currently in the United States but is flying back early to resume discussions. John Glen, the economic secretary to the treasury, said during a parliamentary debate on Thursday (16 December) that the Chancellor would be speaking to the industry that afternoon to “to understand their concerns”.
Sunak later tweeted: “I understand that this is a very concerning time for businesses up and down the country. My team and I held meetings with the hospitality sector earlier today. We’re listening to their concerns and will continue to work with them over the coming days.”
The run up to Christmas is traditionally a lucrative time for hotels, bars and restaurants but this year the emergence of Omicron has led to the cancellation of festive parties across the country.
With numbers down on what they would normally be and no more financial support, representatives from across the sector are understandably getting frustrated.
At the start of the month BWH Hotel Group GB carried out a survey with members, which found that 72% of hotels reporting an increase in Christmas cancellations and 89% now concerned about the festive trading period.
CEO Tim Rumney said: “We need clarity from the top - not confusion between what the Government is saying and what health chiefs are saying - because these figures show the impact Omicron is already having on consumer confidence. Businesses can’t plan properly; customers can’t plan properly. The curse of Covid Christmas past has returned to haunt us unfortunately.”