Reduce the two-metre rule pleads tourism industry
●Who-approved one-metre social distancing ‘could save sector’
Tourism leaders have pleaded with the Scottish Government to relax the two-metre social distancing rule – amid claims such a move would help save tens of thousands of jobs that are hanging in the balance.
More than 25 different organisations have joined forces to call for the change, claiming Scotland faces being left behind countries around the world unless the restriction is cut in half.
The warning of widespread job losses has been issued by visitor attractions, accommodation operators, tour guides, licensed associations and transport groups in the wake of hundreds of job cuts in Scotland being announced by the Intercontinental Hotel Group and Rolls-royce.
An open letter from the Scottish tourism industry has called for the government to give the green light to the first tourism businesses to open their doors to help act as a “safety valve” on destinations which came under pressure when lockdown
rules were relaxed last weekend.
Tourism minister Fergus Ewing is being lobbied for a change in the two-metre rule despite First Minister Nicola Sturgeon urging the public to adhere to the “clear and strong advice” from the government as recently as Monday.
The Scottish Tourism Alliance, which has published an open letter to the government from the industry, claims the majority of tourism businesses insist reopening would not be “economically viable” if the two-metre rule is kept intact during the recovery period over the next few months.
Signatories to the letter, which calls for a one-metre rule to be put in place, citing World Health Organisation research, include the Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions, the National Trust for Scotland, the Scottish B&B Association and the Scottish Licensed Trade Association.
It states: “The survival of businesses across all sectors of Scotland’s tourism industry remains of paramount importance to our organisation and indeed for the economy, as are the conditions around reopening to allow businesses to plan to start trading again and offer the public and employees the required level of confidence.
“Perhaps the most important issue which will affect the viability of the majority of tourism businesses is the two-metre rule for social distancing. We would ask that the government carefully evaluate and give every due consideration to agreeing to the onemetre parameter for distancing which is considered by the WHO to be a safe distance.
“The STA has had numerous discussions with businesses and sectoral associations to discuss the likelihood of being able to open and trade viably if the two-metre rule was to be extended through the different phases of reopening.
“The majority believe it will not be economically viable to do so and as a result would have to close until such time as there was a change to the distancing measures. Many may not be able to hold out until then. The difference could mean many tens of thousands of jobs being saved or lost.”
Meanwhile, Visitscotland chief executive Malcolm Roughead has condemned the “terrible” behaviour of Scots who broke the lockdown rules at beauty spots last weekend.
He said: “Scenes of rubbishstrewn parks and beaches, drunken behaviour, traffic jams and very little thought about social distancing did not showcase the Scotland we want to live in and promote.
“Everyone was told not to drive to beauty spots because no facilities were open, including toilets and car parks. So, people parked on verges and made life unpleasant for the local community – just what tourism didn’t need.”