Hotels, pubs, restaurants and visitor attractions preparing to open doors

Hotels, pubs, restaurants and visitor attractions in Scotland are preparing to open their doors again from next month.

The ailing sectors were given the “much-needed clarity” they sought after Rural Economy and Tourism Secretary Fergus Ewing set a target of July 15 for the lifting of restrictions.

Industry leaders hailed the announcement as a “hugely positive milestone in our road to recovery”, enabling businesses to try to “salvage a share of their summer season”.

But just hours after the statement, the Macdonald Hotels Group become the latest high-profile hospitality chain to signal drastic cutbacks.

The operator of 31 well-known hotels, including at Aviemore, and the Drumossie in Inverness, as well as Norwood Hall and Pittodrie House in the north-east, said it was issuing consultation notices to each of its 2,299 employees, with 1,800 roles “at risk”.

Group deputy chairman Gordon Fraser said: “There is no realistic prospect of us returning to anything approaching normality for the foreseeable future and, while its enormously regrettable, we simply must take these steps to ensure that we have a meaningful business when this situation ends, enabling us to bring back as many of our employees as possible.”

The shock move was the latest evidence of the catastrophic impact of the coronavirus lockdown on tourism and hospitality in Scotland, and analysts fear it could take the sectors “several years” to bounce back.

Tourist businesses alone employ about 8% of Scotland’s workers in 15,000 registered businesses, but that proportion rises to as high as 15% of jobs in Argyll and Bute, and 12.8% in the Highland region.

After pleas for clarity from firms, Mr

Ewing told MSPS yesterday that the government expected to confirm at a scheduled review on July 9 that most tourism and hospitality business would be able to resume operations from July 15. The decision would coincide with the easing of travel restrictions and the beginning of “phase three” of the Scottish Government’s route map out of lockdown.

Mr Ewing also announced the establishment of a Scottish Recovery Tourism Taskforce, which would try to chart the revival of one of the country’s most important industries.

He said: “The coronavirus pandemic has presented challenges across the entirety of the Scottish economy, but it is very clear there are exceptional circumstances facing this sector that must be recognised.

“We have acted as quickly as we can to address the significant financial challenges faced by businesses and provide a comprehensive package of support.”