The Scottish government must provide greater clarity over when lockdown restrictions will be eased, say hospitality groups. They also demand more support to compensate firms that have been forced to
THE Scottish Government has revealed details of a £104 million package to help the country’s beleaguered tourism and hospitality industry. Available funding includes £19.2m to provide one-off grants for hospitality businesses; £11.8m for international inbound, coach tourism and domestic tour operators; £7m for self-catering and £5m for visitor attractions. Businesses required to close by law are currently able to claim up to £3000 every four weeks through the Strategic Framework Business Fund. The Scottish Licensed Trade Association welcomed the funding, but said, in light of the new lockdown, the Government needed to go further still. Tourism Secretary Fergus Ewing acknowledged that the money on offer was “not enough”.
Hospitality and tourism businesses have been told the allocation of £105m of emergency funding HOSPITALITY bosses have warned that support set to be handed out to the industry has been “marred” by mainland Scotland braced for lockdown restrictions from Boxing Day. The Scottish Government has announced details of a £104 million fund for tourism and hospitality businesses – previously announced as part of a £185 million package by Finance Secretary Kate Forbes. Available funding includes £19.2 million to provide one-off grants for hospitality businesses, £11.8 million for international inbound, coach tourism and domestic tour operators, £7 million for self-catering and £5 million for visitor attractions. Businesses required to close by law are currently able to claim up to £3,000 every four weeks.
EXTENDING pub opening hours and allowing the sale of alcohol under controlled conditions could secure 1800 hospitality firms, an economic study claims. Work by Biggar Economics suggests increasing opening hours by two and a half hours and resuming alcohol sales under “strictly controlled conditions” in areas graded at levels one-three could protect more than 32,000 jobs, increasing turnover for the hospitality sector from £419 million to £1.1 billion. The study was commissioned by spirits firm Diageo and the Scottish Beer and Pub Association, Scottish Licensed Trade Association and UKHospitality Scotland are calling on the Scottish Government to “urgently implement the changes to save businesses and jobs”.