From car park beer gardens to hotel business meeting rooms, ICAEW Insights explores how COVID restrictions triggered hospitality’s “entrepreneurial spirit”.
Despite hospitality being among the sectors hardest hit by the pandemic, CEO of the Hospitality Professionals Association (HOSPA) Jane Pendlebury believes that the resilience and agility shown by many in the industry will hold it in good stead as the government’s lockdown measures ease.
In the early stages of the pandemic, the hospitality sector was almost brought to a halt as pubs, restaurants and hotels recorded virtually no income in April and May last year, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
As the tourism sector holds on for the 12 April announcement on international travel, effective cashflow support has been frustrated by late payments, hammering the “final nail in the coffin” for some travel agencies.