The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Hopes of saving summer season
Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Fair Work and Culture has expressed her hopes there can still be a summer season for the country’s tourism industry.
Fiona Hyslop said support would be essential for tourism and hospitality, with lockdown measures in Scotland due to ease from Thursday.
The Scottish Government’s road map out of lockdown will see some other businesses return to normal but there are still restrictions on travelling and leisure for the time being.
Ms Hyslop, appearing on BBC1 Scotland’s Politics Scotland programme, was asked about people being concerned about whether they can start to take bookings with June just a week away.
The economy secretary said: “I hope they would have a season.
“We won’t know until we actually see the pattern, particularly as we phase through this easing of the lockdown, what the pattern of this virus will be.
“But we do want to support them, we want to keep them in production capacity.
“As I speak, there are tens of millions of pounds being issued by the unique and special sort of government scheme – the Resilience Fund and also the Hardship Fund for the hospitality industry.
“It is essential that they have support continued on the Job Retention Scheme, but also in terms of saving a season, we must look at additional packages of support.
“We need to ensure that there is a relaxation to allow people to move so that they can themselves within Scotland have those staycations. We’re not in that situation just now.
“I think there is a huge support from the tourism sector from Scots who when we are able to book holidays they can and they do that in Scotland.
“We’d be very keen for the UK Government to extend their funding support for that sector.”
Ms Hyslop also declined to comment on suggestions the two-metre rule could be changed for bars and restaurants, with a one-metre rule being less problematic.
The MSP said she would want to engage with the public health advisers and experts to help face challenges in the sector.
Stage one of the Scottish Government’s four-phase plan to lift lockdown is scheduled to begin on Thursday, with Scots then allowed to meet people from outside their own household, sunbathe and take part in some non-contact sports like golf.
Ms Hyslop reiterated that any “finishing dates” to the phasing-out of lockdown “will be driven by the experience of the virus, and experience in terms of what happens when we start losing it”.