IT’S MAKE OR BREAK
Fears we will miss out on staycation boom if Covid rules are not the same as rest of UK
Scotland will miss out on a much-needed summer staycation boom unless coronavirus restrictions are harmonised with the rest of the UK, industry leaders have warned.
Stephen Montgomery, of the Scottish Hospitality Group, spoke out after shocking economic data last week showed employment fell north of the border from 74.9 per cent to 74.1 per cent between October and December.
In stark contrast, across the UK employment rates rose from 74.6 per cent to 75.5 per cent, according to the Office for National Statistics. Montgomery, who owns the Townhead Hotel in Lockerbie, said: “Whilst it is encouraging to see employment rising across the UK as a whole, it is worrying that S c ot l a nd is falling behind in its recovery.
“Hospital ity businesses in Scotland were left devastated in December after the Scottish Government warned of a tsunami of Omicron cases and we are still waiting to start a recovery.
“There a re plenty of vacancies, but until restrictions are lifted completely in the sector in line with our colleagues in the rest of the UK, it is unlikely we will see recovery any time soon, or a rush for people to fill those empty job roles in a sector that is able to offer so many career prospects.
“Families across the UK are planning their summer holidays now with many again opting for a staycation. Unless the Scottish Government acts quickly, hospitality will fall even further behind in its attempt to recover.”
In Scot land, adult s and children aged 12 and over still have to wear face coverings in all the same indoor settings as before, such as shops, hospitality venues and public transport.
Businesses are also legally required to take steps to reduce the spread of Covid, including physical distancing and screens. In hospitality, face coverings can be removed while dancing, drinking and dining, but indoor venues are required to reduce crowding and collect the contact details of customers to help with Test and Protect. Scotland’s vaccine passport scheme also still remains in place. In England, there are no passports, and face coverings are now only required in healthcare settings. Throughout the pandemic First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has insisted on a more cautious approach to social distancing.
When Omicron emerged in December she and Public Health Scotland urged people to cancel work Christmas parties, resulting in the hospitality and tourism industry taking a £1billion hit.
The Scottish Government has insisted HMRC estimates showed 2.4million payrolled employees in Scotland in January 2022 – 4000 more than pre-pandemic levels in February 2020.
Employment minister Richard Lochhead said the Scottish Government was “firmly focused on doing all we can to seize our economic potential and build an economy of secure, sustainable and satisfying jobs”.
But the Scottish Conservatives’ economy spokeswoman Liz Smith said: “This is yet more alarming evidence that Scotland is starting to lag behind our closest neighbours in our recovery.”
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “The First Minister has made clear that later this month the Scottish Government will publish an updated strategic framework that will set out in greater detail our approach to managing Covid more sustainably in the coming phases of the pandemic.”