The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Fears of £300m hit to tourism in Fife
FIGHTBACK: Businesses sign up to new Covid safety charter
Fife’s tourism industry is facing a catastrophic £300 million financial hit as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, The Courier can reveal.
Around half of that figure relates to St Andrews and the north-east of the region alone, according to a leaked memo, and there are real concerns it could take the sector several years to recover.
More than 12,250 jobs are at stake, around nine per cent of the region’s total employment, and businesses are bracing themselves for what the next few months might hold.
St Andrews in particular has been hit hard amid fears the effect of lockdown on the university and the postponement of the Open until 2022 will severely impact visitor numbers, overnight stays and tourist spend.
The fightback has started in earnest though, with Deep Sea World in North Queensferry preparing to open its doors and more than 300 businesses in St Andrews signing up to a new Covid charter highlighting their safety measures.
Fife’s tourism sector is set to suffer a £300 million hit as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
A leaked report shows half of that figure could be lost in the north-east of the region alone, where the importance of St Andrews, its university and the East Neuk to the industry has once more been massively underlined.
Figures seen by The Courier put the overall value of tourism to Fife at just under £600m, with 12,256 jobs – around 9% of the region’s total employment – attributed to the sector.
However, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development is predicting declines of 45% to 70% in the international tourism economy in 2020, and Office of National Statistics research shows 62% of accommodation and food service businesses are reporting a decrease in turnover of more than 50%.
The bleak outlook is contained in an internal Fife Council report examining the potential impact of the Covid-19 crisis ahead of the reopening of much of the tourism sector on July 15.
St Andrews in particular is said to be worth £180m to Fife’s total tourism value and the rest of north-east Fife a further £108m, sparking fears a 50% downturn would be catastrophic for the area.
North East Fife MSP Willie Rennie said: “A financial hit of £150m would be extraordinary and we must do everything we can to prevent that. It would hit jobs and livelihoods.
“We needed everyone to stay at home to suppress the virus.
“Now with restrictions eased and with these stark figures, we must welcome visitors from across Scotland in order to support our local economy.”
The area’s MP, Wendy Chamberlain, pointed to initiatives such as the StaySafe St Andrews campaign – effectively a Covid charter for businesses – as a good example of how the area will keep people safe.
“Tourism and seasonal work is clearly a significant part of our local economy but these figures and estimations lay bare how hard we must work to support the local economy,” she added.
“We are lucky to live in one of the most beautiful parts of Scotland and the UK and many people want to visit our home here.
“We needed to make the tough decision to ask everyone to stay away and stay at home during the crisis but now we must welcome them to support our local economy again.”
Gordon Mole, head of business and employability at Fife Council, said the report was produced to give a “broad indication” of what might happen.
He added: “The true scale of the economic impact of the Covid-19 crisis remains largely unknown and uncertain.
“Much will depend on the length and nature of ongoing restrictions to control the global pandemic within the UK and worldwide; the success of these measures in suppressing further outbreaks of the virus; and subsequent consumer behaviours and demand following the easing of current restrictions on travel and social distancing.”