We are joining in the call for urgent financial assistance for the UK’s hospitality sector following announcement of further COVID restrictions

£4BN LOSS PREDICTED FOR HOSPITALITY SECTOR

• The Plymouth City Centre Company has joined in the call for urgent financial assistance for the UK’s hospitality sector following the announcement of further COVID restrictions.
• Financial support can be provided by redirecting surplus funds from The Additional Restrictions Grant or by introducing a new discretionary fund, or both.

The UK’s hospitality sector is bracing itself for a £4bn hit in festive sales with the new ‘work from home’ directive killing off the UK’s hospitality sector this Christmas. Hospitality bosses believe reintroducing the ‘work from home’ guidance will diminish consumer confidence, resulting in widespread cancellations of bookings during the critical festive trading period.

The Plymouth City Centre Company, which runs the city centre’s Business Improvement District(BID)has joined the call from trade organisation UKHospitality, for urgent financial support to soften the blow to Christmas trading from new COVID guidelines.  UK Hopsityality is asking the government  to redirect unspent grants available to the sector or by introducing new alternatives such as a discretionary fund to be administered by local authorities.

This call is further backed by British BIDs, The BID Foundation, Night Time Industries Association and the Association of Town and City Management who together collectively represent more than 100,000 hospitality businesses.

Kate Nicholls, CEO, UKHospitality said: “The new measures will significantly impact consumer confidence and be particularly devastating to city and town centre venues.”

Steve Hughes, chief executive of the Plymouth City Centre Company, said: “Just as our bars, restaurants and cafes were beginning to get back on their feet and looking forward to a bumper Christmas, they have been dealt another hammer blow. Without help many will not recover.” “We urge the government to look again at business rates relief, grants, rent protection and extended VAT reductions.” 

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Update 20th December - A letter has been sent to Boris Johnson MP and Rishi Sunak MP - Viewable here