Scottish hospitality leaders suggest full reopening of tourism and hospitality on Could 17

“/>James Thomson of Prestonfield House Hotel is one of the group’s industry leaders

The new proposal is in line with the date set for England and industry leaders say there is a risk that the Scottish tourism and hospitality industry and the thousands of workers in the sector are at risk of suffering untold damage.

In response to the Scottish Government’s roadmap for the lockdown announcement, over 80 hotel companies have come together to form the Hospitality & Tourism Action Group and set their own timeframe to get the industry back on its feet after nearly 12 months in government put. imposed bans and other trade restrictions.

The group is asking for an immediate adjustment to the UK dates May 17th for hotels and restaurants and mid-April for self-catering.

register to our daily newsletter

The i newsletter Cut through the noise

The industry recognizes the need for caution and the importance of secure unlocking. However, the Hospitality & Tourism Action Group is calling on the government to acknowledge the significant damage to the Scottish hospitality industry as a result of the ongoing lockdown, including the threat to around 285,000 jobs.

Many of these jobs are held by younger people between the ages of 18 and 25.

The Hospitality & Tourism Action Group campaign is supported by over 80 hotel and tourism companies across the country, including the Prestonfield House Hotel and Archerfield Hotel in Edinburgh and the Ducks Inn in East Lothian.

James Thomson, owner of Prestonfield House in Edinburgh, said: “With this lengthy period of forced closure and inadequate support, many businesses across Scotland are at real risk of permanent shutdown and the possible loss of their trusted suppliers and employees.

“Last year I made the incredibly difficult decision to close the Tower in Edinburgh after operating it for 22 years. Before the pandemic, we were in a very positive position to have a team of excellent, highly skilled people. I fear the worst for them and for companies like ours which are faced with terrible decisions given the current circumstances. “

Fiona Campbell, Executive Director of the Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers, said: “The First Minister had the opportunity to provide detail, clarity and security to the thousands of self-catering businesses across Scotland and the government has not done so in full.

“What makes us even more disappointing is that we are effectively lagging behind our colleagues south of the border who already have an indicative date for reopening. Not only do we now have to cancel and refund existing bookings, but also reject bookings from the south of the border.

“In contrast to other sectors, the self-catering sector has not yet received any of the sectoral support packages announced on December 21st in the bank accounts of the self-catering operators. There is no certainty that after the exit there will be ongoing financial support Level 4 and in the foreseeable future without bookings many will be in a dangerous condition. “

The Hospitality & Tourism Action Group is also asking for clarity on travel and levels. With international travel unlikely to happen later in the year, the industry needs to maximize opportunities in both Scotland and the rest of the UK.

The full petition and proposals can be seen on Change.org.

A message from the editor:

Thank you for reading this article. We need your support more than ever as the changes in consumer habits caused by coronavirus are affecting our advertisers.

If you haven’t already, you can support our trusted fact-checked journalism by: a digital subscription.