Tourism industry needs more help
The man at the helm of Crieff Hydro has called on the Scottish Government to do more to help businesses like his survive.
Stephen Leckie owns seven hotels including Crieff Hydro and Crieff’s Murraypark Hotel as well as Peebles Hydro and Isles of Glencoe Hotel in Ballachulish.
The Perthshire businessman said he was urging economy secretary Fiona Hyslop to “stop taking any remaining oxygen we have left.”
Mr Leckie said his business was “haemorrhaging money” and had been forced to take on “masses of debt” as his it is too big to apply for grants.
He wants to see self-catering facilities opening ahead of phase three of the Scottish Government’s ‘route map’ out of lockdown.
However, Mr Leckie said was “buoyed” with the response from Ms Hyslop when they discussed the issue recently.
Murdo Fraser MSP is also set to raise the issue at parliament this week.
Mr Leckie said businesses like his have to wait longer than others to reopen.
He said: “We need help. We are at the back of the queue. We need to wait for everyone to behave.”
Under current plans, lockdown restrictions will be lifted in four main phases. All accommodation providers are currently listed in phase three but self-catering providers and caravan parks have been calling to be allowed to open earlier than hotels.
Mr Leckie’s self-catering outlets have “significant demand for June and July.” He reckons visitors can come from the safety of their cars to stay in their units which have everything in place to make it a safe stay.
Mr Leckie also chairs the Scottish Tourism Alliance and is president of the Perthshire Chamber of Commerce.
He said he has been working hard to persuade Ms Hyslop, the secretary for economy, fair work and culture, to allow self-catering units to open in phase two of the route map out of lockdown and would like to see them open within a couple of weeks. He said they need to get some revenue in and some employment.
Describing the fact he can open a golf course but not a toilet as “kind of bizarre,” he added that getting £35 from the “odd round of golf ” was “neither here nor there” when his business was dependent on generating £3 million a month.
Murdo Fraser MSP confirmed he would raise the issue this week, and said he had received “high correspondence from tourism businesses” asking for clarity on the route map.
He said many self-catering suppliers believe they were being “lumped in” with hotels and bed and breakfast acconmodation.
He said that “it should be relatively easy to self-isolate with family members in a holiday lodge or cottage but not so easy in a hotel,” adding: “This is a very important issue - being put in phase three of the route map is hindering tourism businesses.”
The PA approached the Scottish Government for comment but we had not received one at the time of going to press.