100,000 jobs face axe as tourism left decimated

SCOTLAND’S tourism sector is facing a crisis with warnings that up to 100,000 jobs may be lost.

Some hotels are losing hundreds of thousands of pounds each month due to the lockdown, according to industry leaders, who also fear furloughed staff could soon be made redundant.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said the UK’s hospitality sector could resume on July 4.

Scotland’s bed and breakfast owners are working to that date in the hope of accepting bookings immediately afterwards – even though the Scottish Government has yet to make any similar statement.

Others in the industry are not optimistic, warning that up to 100 hotels will never reopen and that the July 4 date is unrealistic.

Willie Macleod, Scotland executive director for UK Hospitality, said: ‘Some businesses are taking bookings but on a very cautious basis. It’s subject to us being open.’

Businesses with a rateable value of more than £51,000, including many hotels, are not receiving Scottish Government small business grants. On average they are making monthly losses of £60,000, with some losing much more.

Mr Macleod said: ‘They’re desperate to get back, but in the right circumstances. They don’t want to open prematurely and risk staff and customers.

‘By the end of this month, we will have staff redundancies if the Chancellor reduces the percentage of salaries he is prepared to pay.

There are about 2,500 hotels in Scotland, leaving B&Bs and guest houses to one side, and it wouldn’t surprise me if we see 100 not reopen, or if 100,000 lose their jobs.’

Meanwhile, Scotland’s B&B owners are urging the Government to move in step with England.

David Weston, chairman of the Scottish B&B Association, said: ‘Our aim is to be ready from July 4.

‘We’ve had lots of experience over the past few weeks of hotels and B&Bs open for key workers and safely accommodating that.’

The Scottish Tourism Alliance is now looking into how key handovers and meal service can be done without risking staff and guests.

Yesterday, there were reports that thousands of visitors had been turned away from Loch Lomond.

Balloch and Luss have had the most lockdown breaches, with 2,291 people sent home over 30 days. John Gray, of Lomond Stores, told The Guardian: ‘Even on a normal summer’s day it’s not as busy as it’s been the last few weeks.’

Last week, Tourism Secretary Fergus Ewing said he wanted the UK Government to provide additional funding for the hotels with rateable values above £51,000 which do not benefit from Scottish Government grants.

He told Holyrood’s tourism committee it could help prevent the ‘loss of the most-valued hotels in just about every major town and rural town in Scotland and Britain’.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘We are continuing to consider how best to plan for the restart and long-term recovery of the tourism industry.’

‘Scots businesses are desperate to get back’