Willie Macleod is stepping down after nearly ten years championing Scottish hospitality businesses, as Scotland’s Executive Director for BHA and then its successor UKHospitality. He is retiring from the role that cemented him as a respected hospitality sector stalwart among political and industry audiences alike.
Leon Thompson, succeeds Macleod and will take up the role on 4th May.
Thompson, who joins from VisitScotland, is a senior political communications specialist, and has led VisitScotland’s policy agenda since 2013. He has helped build influential networks among Ministers, MSPs, Cabinet Secretaries and key industry stakeholders. Thompson has been instrumental in positioning the body as one of Scotland’s premier tourism and hospitality advocates.
UKHospitality Chief Executive Kate Nicholls thanked Macleod for his dedication to UKHospitality and Scotland’s hospitality and tourism sectors, and welcomed Leon to the UKHospitality team.
UKHospitality Chief Executive Kate Nicholls said, “I am delighted to welcome Leon to UKHospitality. Leon brings many years’ worth of expertise and a huge amount of political acumen working with policy-makers in Scotland. He knows the sector inside out and has done brilliant work in positioning Scotland as a world-class tourist destination. I know he will be unstinting in his efforts to ensure we remain the number one advocate of hospitality in Scotland.
“I would also like to thank Willie for his years of dedication to an industry he first worked in as a teenager. Willie is much-loved in the hospitality community and brought a welcome sense of continuity during UKHospitality’s first few years. His hard work has ensured that valuable hospitality businesses in Scottish communities have had a voice at the highest levels of Government.”
Leon Thompson said, “I am very much looking forward to joining UKHospitality, spearheading its work in Scotland and building upon Willie’s success. From my work at VisitScotland, I know that this sector is an immensely diverse and exciting one. I am looking forward to meeting UKH’s members and fighting to ensure the Governments in Holyrood and Westminster, and local authorities across Scotland work with us to get the best out of our businesses.”
UKHospitality Executive Director Willie Macleod said: “It has been a privilege and pleasure to champion Scotland’s fantastic hospitality sector for ten years during very challenging times – especially now as the industry is on the verge of re-opening and recovering from the ravages of COVID-19. This is a vigorous, hardworking and resilient sector that shows the best of Scottish ingenuity and generosity. It has evolved hugely in the time that I have been promoting its interests and we can proudly say it is genuinely world class.
“I would like to thank my colleagues and members of UKH for their professional and good-humoured support and a host of others – in sister trade bodies, the media, public agencies and government – who I have worked alongside in partnership and friendship with the shared goal of ensuring the sustainability of a fantastic industry that beats at the heart of Scotland’s economy.
Calum Ross, Chair of UKHospitality Scotland, said, “I thank Willie for the unfailing support he has shown the Scottish hospitality community. He has always been its most vocal and committed supporter and I look forward to seeing UKHospitality Scotland build upon his work.
“As a UKHospitality member based in Scotland, I am looking forward to working with Leon to ensure my business, and others like it, is given the support it needs to flourish.”
Holiday vouchers, discounts for days out and a marketing fund are included in a new £25 million tourism recovery programme revealed by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon speaking at the Scottish Tourism Alliance conference.
The programme, which has been developed by the Scottish Tourism Emergency Response Group (STERG) in partnership with businesses, will support the Scottish Tourism Recovery Taskforce objectives.
The recovery programme includes:
a holiday voucher scheme to create a more socially sustainable and inclusive tourism industry
a days out incentive scheme to support areas such as attractions, tours, activities and experiences
a talent development and leadership programme for tourism and hospitality staff
a Net Zero Pathway to make Scotland’s tourism industry more green and sustainable
a marketing fund to support organisations to promote their destination or sector when domestic travel is able to resume
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said, “It’s been an incredibly difficult year for all businesses but I don’t underestimate the acute challenges our tourism and hospitality sectors have faced.
“We’ve provided an unprecedented amount of funding for the sector, including over £129 million in business support and an extension of rates relief for 2021/22. But as the vaccine roll-out continues, and the lockdown restrictions begin to ease, we know more is needed to help tourism and hospitality businesses get firmly back on their feet.
“This is short term recovery funding to support the industry for the next 6 months to two years as we move back towards some form of normality, and it ensures we can achieve the objectives of the taskforce.
“I set out a vision for Scotland to be a leader in 21st century tourism when I announced Scotland Outlook 2030 at this very conference last year. I am confident, that by working in partnership, we can still achieve this vision.”
Marc Crothall, Chief Executive of the STA said, “The £25 million support for Scotland’s tourism industry which was announced by the First Minister at the STA Conference is a welcome boost for businesses as we move closer to what we hope will be a reopen date at the end of April.
“The funding projects are directly aligned to the Tourism Task Force recommendations which were published late last year and shows a firm commitment from the Scottish Government to working with the sector and the STA to rebuild our tourism industry through the delivery of key projects and initiatives. A very welcome announcement, particularly on a day which has felt so positive with over 2000 people tuning in to view the conference.”
UKHospitality Scotland Executive Director Willie Macleod said, “This good news for the tourism and hospitality sectors and represents a welcome step on the pathway to recovery.
“Consumer confidence is going to be key to the recovery of the hospitality and tourism sectors. After such a long time in hibernation and in the wake of such a catastrophe, customers might, understandably, be hesitant to get back out to venues and book holidays.
“As hospitality venues begin to reopen and as the tourism sector begins to reawaken, we need to be sending the message that we are open for businesses. The Scottish Government’s incentive scheme could play a significant role in tempting our customers back into our businesses. Letting customers know we are open, safe and ready to welcome them back again will be key to a quick start.”
Further details on the allocation of funds will be set out in due course.
The Scottish Government has extended the moratorium on lease irritation for an additional six months.
The news was welcomed by UKHospitality Scotland Executive Director Willie Macleod who said, “This is a helpful and pragmatic move by the Scottish Government. After the moratorium was extended in England and Wales, it was absolutely right that Scotland followed suit. We are grateful that it has gone even further and been extended for an additional six months.
“As with the rest of the UK, rent debt for Scottish hospitality businesses has spiralled to frightening levels. It has become a huge burden that threatens the immediate survival and the chances of growth for businesses. Extending the moratorium was necessary to give businesses breathing room and stay alive for the forthcoming reopening.
“This is only a stay of execution, though. The UK Government’s call for evidence must find an equitable solution that brings landlords to the table and shares out this burden fairly – and it must consider measures that also apply in Scotland. This burden is the result of a once-in-a-lifetime crisis and hospitality cannot be expected to shoulder it alone.”
Five of Scotland’s hospitality bodies have collectively presented the Scottish Government with an updated Level System for its Strategic Framework which would allow 60,000 hospitality workers to retain their jobs and which would also contribute £1.2bn to the Scottish economy.
The proposed series of small tweaks to the current levels system would allow the sector to meet both public health and economy objectives as strict COVID measures would remain in place.
For instance in Level three currently inside and outside there is no alcohol allowed, 5pm is the last entry and there is a 6pm close. The trade bodies asks are suggesting that inside:
Alcohol only with a meal
Last entry at 8.30pm
Two-hour time slots
Closing at 10.30
Seated consumption only
No queuing
Outdoors
And outside:
Alcohol permitted
Last entry at 9.30
Closing at 11.30
Seated consumption only
No queuing
The trade bodies who have forward the proposals include the Scottish Hospitality Group, UK Hospitality Scotland, Scottish Licensed Trade Association, Night Time Industries Association and the Scottish Beer & Pub Association and the plans been submitted to the Scottish Government, mirror the reopening plans for England as closely as possible, with the stripping away of additional restrictions such as a curfew and serving alcohol only with a meal.
They have backed up their proposal with research from leading economic consultancy, BiGGAR Economics. Their figures show that under the current Level 3 restrictions, 54% of hospitality businesses could be operating, which generates a turnover of £269 million and supports 21,900 jobs. If the government was to open with the proposed Level 3 industry change, 73% of businesses could be operating, generating a turnover of £927 million and supporting 53,300 jobs.
Graeme Blackett, Director of BiGGAR Economics, said, “This study highlights the severe negative economic impact that the COVID-19 lockdown has had on the hospitality sector.” He adds, “It also demonstrates that the changes to the restrictions in the level system that the hospitality sector has proposed, can place the hospitality sector and the wider food and drink supply chain in a much stronger position. Adjustments to the restrictions could get thousands of people back to work and allow the sector to generate turnover and contribute significantly to the public finances in the coming weeks and months.”
BiGGAR Economics’ study also found that under the newly proposed Level 2 changes, 91% of businesses could be operating, which would generate a turnover of £1.2 billion and support 68,000 jobs. This is compared to current Level 2 restrictions in which only 73% of business could operate, generating a turnover of £634 million and supporting only 34,900 jobs.
Stephen Montgomery, Group Spokesperson for the Scottish Hospitality Group, said, “We hope that this latest research will give the Scottish Government the push to re-address the current levels system which has unfairly targeted our industry since last year.”
CEO of the Scottish Beer & Pub Association, Emma McClarkin said, “Should the Scottish Government remain wedded to a regional levels approach then our joint plan would see an additional £658m in turnover and support an extra 31,400 jobs in Level 3 compared to the current system. Government must listen to the industry and give the thousands of operators are glimmer of hope.”
Willie Macleod, Executive Director, Scotland for UK Hospitality (UKH) said, “The plan for reopening Scotland’s economy has to acknowledge that hotels, bars and restaurants are still at severe risk and must place the survival of our sector, which will be integral to the economic recovery of the country, at its heart. The report from BiGGAR Economics shows how the reopening of hospitality venues can secure jobs, kick-start the vital supply chain and ensure that public health remains a priority.”
Mike Grieve, Chairperson of NTIA Scotland said, “We strongly urge the First Minister to act on the proposed revised levels as outlined in the Hospitality Joint Association letter, and to engage in discussions with the group to find solutions appropriate to the needs of all hospitality businesses as a matter of urgency. The priority must be to set a clear roadmap out of lockdown as vaccination levels rise and hospitalisation rates drop, and to aim for full reopening of the sector at Level 0 with the complete removal of all trading restrictions, including social distancing, restricted capacity, restricted trading hours, curfews and restrictions on entertainment, performance, music and dancing.”
Dayalan Nayager, Managing Director of Diageo GB, said, “We support our colleagues across the hospitality sector in seeking a safe and sustainable reopening of businesses, with appropriate measures to protect people and communities while also securing the economic future of the industry and those who work in it.”
A collective sigh of relief could be heard when Finance Secretary Kate Forbes announced that hospitality, leisure, retail and aviation businesses will pay no rates during 2021-22. Her announcement came only a day after the UK government announced a further £1.1 billion of consequential funding for Scotland.
The move builds on the three-month rates relief extension announced in the Scottish Budget and will be taken forward provided the Scottish Government receives the funding already assumed from the UK Budget on 3 March, and that requisite funds are available to maintain existing support into 2021-22.
Ms Forbes said, “When I presented our budget last month I guaranteed to extend non-domestic rates relief further if I was given the necessary resources. I can now deliver on that promise, providing the UK Budget in March delivers the funding we require.
“This welcome additional consequential funding was confirmed to us yesterday and I wanted give early notice to parliament and provide clarity to businesses.
She also announced extra investment some £50m extra for town centres through a ‘place-based investment’ programme, now worth up to £105 million and an extra £10m for the tourism industry in rural areas.
Stephen Montgomery, spokesperson for the Scottish Hospitality Group said, “The Scottish Hospitality Group today welcome the announcement from Kate Forbes on the extension of the rates relief for 2021-22. This is a good start, however, we are still a long way from where we need to be in terms of financial support to allow us to steer our way out of this pandemic. It is, however, a good end to a day which started off with the release of an out of date and worthless report by Stirling University.”
UKHospitality Scotland also welcomed the decision to extend business rates relief and provide further financial support for hospitality and tourism businesses with Executive Director Willie Macleod saying, “This is a very positive and pragmatic move by the Scottish Government.
“Extending the rates relief was one of the major requests of the hospitality industry in Scotland. It will provide continued support for hard-pressed businesses and give them breathing room to plan ahead with some more certainty.
“Businesses are beginning to look ahead to reopening, but many still needed continued support in order to survive the weeks and months ahead. Failure to provide more support would have been devastating, particularly with the pessimistic tone sounded by the First Minister on the possibility of Easter and Summer bookings.
“Our recovery will be enhanced immeasurably if the UK Government extends the VAT cut for hospitality, giving businesses an even better chance of survival. It will give many employers vital support to keep jobs open and put them in a much stronger position to help lead the economic recovery of Scotland this year.”
Marc Crothall, Chief Executive of the STA said, “I know that our industry is breathing a huge sigh of relief as a result of the Finance Secretary’s announcement that she will extend 100% business rates relief to the sector for another year.” He continued, “There is however no doubt that up weighted targeted support must be allocated to the tourism sector if businesses are not going to be able to trade viably for months to come and the STA will continue to press both the Westminster and Scottish Governments for this.
“Scotland’s tourism industry continues to be 100% aligned to the health agenda; our businesses are committed to opening in a safe and secure way, giving customers confidence as a result of the level of financial investment which has been adopted across the sector.”
While Emma McClarkin, CEO of Scottish beer & Pubs Association said, “We welcome the news today that the Scottish Government has heeded our calls for further fiscal support for our sector. This news gives relief to the thousands of pub businesses in Scotland who have now been closed for several months and remain unclear when they will be able to open their doors again. Our industry is teetering on the precipice and we now urgently need a clear roadmap to reopening from the First Minister when she unveils her Framework next week – hospitality cannot be at the end of the queue.”
Current lockdown measures will stay in place across mainland Scotland and some island communities until at least the end of February the First Minister has confirmed.
The First Minister said there would be no easing of current restrictions before the end of February at the earliest and would remain unlikely until a critical mass of the population was vaccinated; a sustained reduction in new infections, hospitalisations and deaths was achieved; and more known about new virus variants.
Any easing of restrictions would not be accompanied by relaxation in social distancing, face coverings and other mitigations; and there would also be a clear discouragement of foreign holidays.
Following the statement, UKHospitality Scotland Executive Director Willie Macleod said, “Despite mounting evidence that hospitality businesses are not a major source of infection, the pathway for reopening the sector is no clearer.
“We appreciate that it is not possible for the Scottish Government to give a definitive date upon which businesses may be able to reopen, but we do need to have some understanding of the circumstances which might permit it. Businesses need to plan for their recovery.
“With no easing of restrictions likely to happen soon, support for businesses must be sustained. Many businesses will not be able to survive much longer without substantial financial support. Each business that fails means more jobs lost in Scotland and the task of recovery made all the more difficult.”
The Scottish Beer & Pub Association, Scottish Hospitality Group and UKHospitality have all condemned the unfair targetting of hospitality by Scottish Government as First Nicola Sturgeon extended what was supposed to be a ‘short and sharp’ circuit breaker for another week.
Commenting on the extension of the restrictions on hospitality premises for another week, Emma McClarkin CEO of the Scottish Beer & Pub Association said, “This news is absolutely devastating for the sector. We were told that these measures were to be ‘short’ and ‘sharp’ but now the Scottish Government have gone back on that, leaving operators feeling betrayed. The extension of the economic support is welcome, but still in no way makes up for the lost income of another week fully closed. The trade now feels even more let down by the Government and unfairly targeted by the measures which are costing jobs and livelihoods. Scotland’s pubs and bars have repeatedly been subject to some of the most penalising restrictions in the world, but without the evidence to back it up. The situation cannot continue.”
Stephen Montgomery, the spokesperson for the Scottish Hospitality Group, agreed saying, “Recent restrictions were framed as a ‘temporary’ short, sharp shock, but the extension is an indication that we can only expect a continued government stranglehold on hospitality that will have devasting consequences. We now plead with the First Minister to sit down with us so that we can work together on a flexible funding model and long-term strategic approach that will save jobs and protects livelihoods in Scotland’s hospitality businesses.
“If this does not happen thousands of hospitality jobs will be lost in the coming weeks, as furlough ends, with the potential of many more to follow. We have repeatedly called on the Scottish Government to work with us on a solution to safeguard an industry that is the third biggest employer in the country.
He continued, “The current restrictions will now remain in place until 2nd November, but there is no indication of what the new tier system will entail or the financial support that will be available. This uncertainty is driving the trade to the edge of a precipice and at some point, in the very near future, there will be no coming back from the edge for many operators.”
UKHospitality Executive Director for Scotland Willie Macleod said, “This is another catastrophic blow for Scottish hospitality. It is becoming increasingly difficult for businesses to keep pace with the constant change in the restrictions they are operating within.
“Many of these businesses are barely hanging on. They have had their revenue strangled or shut off altogether and many will have little or no cash in reserve. Extending the restrictions for another week could finish off those businesses that had just about managed to formulate a plan to see them through the initial lockdown.
“The support on offer isn’t going to be enough to save the sector. The £40m announced by the Scottish Government was intended to cover a 16-day period to 25 October. That sum was inadequate when it was announced and it is only going to be diluted further.
“Businesses are going to go under and take valuable jobs with them. It is now vital that the Scottish Government outlines plans for additional support to keep the sector from being totally wiped out.
“We are expecting an announcement tomorrow on the Scottish Government’s proposed tier system. That needs to be accompanied by a confirmation of how it intends to support businesses that continue to be hammered and some indication of the route map for businesses during these uncertain and distressing times.”
The Scottish Government must outline as soon as possible how it will provide further financial support over and above the £40m pot if it is to have any hope of keeping businesses alive and jobs safe, says UKHospitality.
The trade body’s Executive Director for Scotland Willie Macleod (pictured) said, “Compulsory closures in the central belt and the trading restrictions elsewhere are biting hard. Consumer confidence is also low which means revenue is down and cash flow reduced. Businesses need cash in order to survive and keep as many of their employees as possible in jobs.
“The reality is, however, that the £40 million pot made available by the Scottish Government is not going to be nearly enough. It will be nowhere near enough to offset the massive hit businesses have taken. It will not keep businesses afloat and it will not keep enough jobs safe.
“The Scottish Government must go further. It needs to announce as soon as possible how it will use its share, understood to be £700m, of the £1.3bn allocated last Friday by the Chancellor to the devolved governments. It must use a significant chunk of this to help beleaguered hospitality sector and its employees. Many hospitality businesses including nightclubs, meeting spaces and conference venues are, as yet, unable to re-open and they need the support that has hitherto been denied them.
“There must also be a change in the way these restrictions are being rolled-out. It is increasingly incumbent on government to provide adequate notice of restrictions being placed on businesses and, at the same time, provide full details of how these businesses will be supported.”
The Scottish Government has thrown a lifeline to the struggling hotel sector with a funding package worth £14 million however although very welcome trade bodies the STA and UKHospitality don’t believe it is enough.
The Hotel Recovery Programme that Finance Minister Kate Forbes announced today will, the government hopes, help to secure up to 3,000 jobs at Scotland’s larger hotels until the start of the summer 2021 tourism season. Eligible businesses can apply for individual grants of up to £250,000 in addition to a suite of wrap-around business support and advice.
But says UKHospitality Executive Director for Scotland, Willie Macleod, “The £14m programme is a positive sign of intent, but it is going to be a drop in the ocean for the sector. The reality is that any programme of recovery intended to keep hotels in Scotland open and staff in jobs, will need to be much bigger and much more wide-ranging. It must be hoped that this is an initial step in supporting these businesses and that further resources will be made available in the likely event that the programme is over-subscribed.
“These are businesses that have been devastated by the pandemic. Almost all of Scotland’s tourism and hospitality businesses ground to a complete halt over the Spring. Not all businesses are yet open and those that have opened are operating below capacityand have concerns about medium-term profitability. The future of many hotels and so many jobs around the country is still in the balance.
“Support will need to be much more extensive to ensure it reaches all businesses who need it. UKH estimates that there are around 950 larger hotels in Scotland, with a rateable value over £51,000, which did not qualify for grants that were available to smaller businesses. Many were unable to access government-backed loans or the Hardship and Pivotal grants provided by Scottish Government. On average, hotels had to meet £60,000 each month during lockdown to cover fixed costs.
“As the Government has identified, these businesses employ lots of people and support a long supply chain. A budget of £14m may mean that only 50 businesses, 5% of larger hotels, will be supported if each qualifies for the maximum sum. This is not enough to avert the crisis facing the sector.”
While Marc Crothall, Chief Executive of the Scottish Tourism Alliance said, “Today’s announcement will be extremely welcome news, particularly for the hotels eligible for this support, many of which will have been unable to access grant funding to date. The programme will go some way in helping to secure many of the hotel jobs in the short to medium term which would most likely otherwise be lost.
“The £14m pot of cash whilst sizeable is however limited and there won’t be enough to support all the hotels that are in need of immediate financial support to help them survive, recover and maintain their previous staffing levels.
“It remains the case that without this support and other forms of longer-term support and relief in the future, many of Scotland’s hotels will remain at significant risk of being forced into permanent closure which will result in many more thousands of jobs still being lost.”
The Programme will be jointly administered by the Scottish Government’s enterprise agencies and builds on the existing funding and support for tourism businesses through the Creative, Tourism and Hospitality Hardship Fund and the Pivotal Enterprise Resilience Fund.
VisitScotland will also deliver £1 million in grants to self-catering businesses that have not received any other Scottish Government COVID-19 support. Businesses that apply and meet the criteria will be eligible for a one-off £10,000 grant to support them through the winter season.
Tourism Secretary Fergus Ewing said, “We recognise the important contribution the hotel sector makes to tourism and the wider Scottish economy, supporting approximately 46,000 jobs across the country.
“Scotland is home to many of the world’s iconic hotels and they, like much of the sector, have suffered considerably this year from the impacts of coronavirus. The Hotel Recovery Programme is a dedicated funding package designed to safeguard jobs in these establishments and offer some security until the new tourist season begins in summer 2021.
“The Scottish Government is doing everything in its power to support the tourism industry, however without significant borrowing powers at our disposal this action will always be limited. Whilst we very much welcome measures taken by the UK Government, such as accepting our call to cut VAT rates for the tourism industry, longer-term support for jobs is necessary. I hope the UK Government responds positively to our ask for an extension to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.”
Background
The Enterprise Agencies (Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, South of Scotland Enterprise and VisitScotland) will begin taking expressions of interest for the Hotel Recovery Programme in late August. Businesses that meet the criteria for the Programme will be eligible for both grants and a holistic business review with bespoke support based on their individual needs.
The Hotel Recovery Programme comprises £9 million in revenue and £5 million capital.
Applications for the self-catering support scheme will open in early August. VisitScotland will work with The Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers (ASSC) to review applications received for the self-catering support scheme.
Further details and opening dates for both funds will be announced in due course.
The hospitality industry now has a provisional re-opening date of 15th July. Tourism Secretary Fergus Ewing revealed the date in parliament today. He qualified the statement by saying it would not be confirmed until 9th July when the country would be expected to be moving into the third phase of the Scottish Government lockdown route-map.
Pubs, bars, restaurants and hotels could open for businesses on the July 15th if all goes to plan, but it is very much dependent on the public health advice which would reflect infection figures.
The Minister said, “I would encourage hotels and hospitality businesses to prepare for a provisional return to trading – with appropriate safety guidelines – on the 15th July 2020.” He continued, “This is not a guarantee, and we may have to change that date. But by setting out the date we hope to have given the sector greater clarity.
“This date cannot be definitive and is conditional on public health advice and progression to Phase 3 of the route map. Businesses must now use this time to satisfy the necessary regulations and adapt to the new way of living.”
The setting of a potential date for opening was welcomed by various industry bodies including the Scottish Beer and Pub Association, UKHospitality, SLTA and the STA but all warned that the current social distance measure of 2m, which is still the rule, will mean that some businesses will not be able to open, if that sticks until the 15th July.
Emma McClarkin CEO of the Scottish Beer & Pub Association said, “The setting of a date for reopening is some positive news for the country’s pubs and brewers, and something we have been pushing the Scottish Government on for several weeks. This gives some much-needed clarity for the sector and will also give industry the time necessary to put in place what is needed to reopen safely on the 15th of July.
“However, there is still a number of challenges for pubs that can’t be forgotten. Under the current two-metre social distancing rules, we believe up to two-thirds of Scotland’s pubs will need to remain closed. It is imperative for the hospitality sector that the Scottish Government explores the World Health Organisation’s suggested one-metre rule for social distancing.
‘Other countries, like New Zealand have allowed their pubs to safely re-open up at one-metre distance. If this was followed in Scotland, we could save thousands of jobs which otherwise will be lost through redundancies.”
Colin Wilkinson, Managing Director of the SLTA, said, “This indicative date is an important step to a return to some sort of normality, but the main question now is what the social-distancing parameters will be.
“The SLTA and other industry bodies have asked the Scottish Government to give serious consideration to reducing the current two-metre parameter as we have seen in other countries and to bring the level in line with the World Health Organisation.
“If the current distancing measures are maintained, normal capacities could be reduced by between 60% and 80%, and each business will need to assess the practicalities, cost and viability of complying with the new guidance.”
UKHospitality Executive Director for Scotland, Willie Macleod said, “It’s good to have some clarity from the Scottish Government and a real sense that we are moving towards the reopening of hospitality and tourism businesses. Recognising that there may be a need to change dates and timing in the interests of health and safety, it will take time, weeks in some cases, for businesses to get back in working order, communicate with customers, handle bookings, arrange staffing and order supplies, so this lead-time is very helpful.”
While Marc Crothall, Chief Executive of the Scottish Tourism Alliance, the representative body for tourism businesses in Scotland said, “The Cabinet Secretary’s announcement that the majority of tourism businesses can reopen on 15th July this afternoon marks a hugely positive milestone in our road to recovery in what has been an exceptionally dark few days and indeed weeks for Scotland’s tourism industry.
The STA has pushed hard for an indicative date to be given to allow accommodation providers, visitor attractions, pubs and restaurants to plan effectively, accept bookings, make arrangements for the return of their staff from furlough, conduct training and most importantly ensure that all safety protocols are in place to provide their employees and the public the confidence and reassurance they need to feel safe to return.
He continued, “One of the most frequent questions we have been asked is around the publication of guidance for reopening; it will offer huge reassurance to tourism businesses that this will be available in the coming days, giving them a full month to plan ahead to welcome visitors back into businesses across all sectors of our industry.
However, he added, “It remains the case that urgent solutions or alternative measures must be found or taken to overcome the current 2-metre distancing restrictions to enable economic viability for many businesses.”
Calum Ross, General Manager of the Glasgow Hilton, says, “It’s very welcome news – something for all us to work towards although as always – the devil will be in the detail!
Stephen Leckie, Chairman and Chief Executive of Crieff Hydro, “We are delighted. We are very positive about this. They have listened and taken action. We understand there are caveats, and we understand absolutely that we have to wait until the 9th July until confirmation. There are many questions still. The 2m versus 1m still big issue. We cannot open fully until we have less than 1m distancing.” He continued, “Until the 2m ruling is changed we will continue to lose money. Some pubs will choose not to open until 2m ruling is dropped.”
The Cabinet Secretary also announced the creation of a Scottish Tourism Recovery Taskforce to assist with the ongoing reset of the sector. The task force will look at the sector’s recovery needs as well as actions being taken by the UK Government and the development of a new domestic visitor marketing campaign.
Colin Wilkinson of the SLTA also welcomed the news that the Scottish Government to seek a VAT reduction for the hospitality and tourism sector and added that the announcement that unallocated grant funding will be assessed and redirected to those businesses which have not been able to access this support before is also welcome. “It will perhaps bring some hope to those tourism and hospitality businesses which have been ignored so far,” he said.
“If this funding is to be re-routed to help businesses through the Pivotal Enterprise Resilience Fund or Creative, Tourism & Hospitality Enterprises Hardship Fund we must see a greater increase in the number of successful applications – industry research shows that as of last week, only 14% of applicants have been successful with their applications for these grants, the rest either having failed or are still waiting to hear.”
UKHospitality has warned the Scottish Government’s plan for restarting the economy in Scotland is likely to result in business failures and lost jobs. It has voiced its concern that plans to reopen hospitality and tourism businesses in Scotland have been drawn up arbitrarily, with no consultation with the sector and little forethought for the impact on hospitality businesses.
Its comments come following the publication of the Scottish Government’s route map in which the plan outlines a gradual approach to easing lockdown through four flexible phases, reviewed every three weeks.
According to the plan, hospitality businesses with outdoor spaces will be permitted to reopen at Phase 2 of the plan, but those without will not be able to until Phase 3.
UKHospitality Executive Director for Scotland, Willie Macleod said, “We are seriously concerned that the Scottish Government’s plan for reopening will do more harm than good. It appears not to be based in any logic and has the potential to create a two-tier sector with many already-hammered businesses being left behind.
“Reopening hospitality businesses should be phased according to agreed protocols to ensure healthy, hygienic and safe spaces for staff members and tourists. The Scottish Government’s plans rests on whether businesses have an outdoor space or not; not whether they are able to operate safely with social distancing guidelines in place. Subjecting businesses that do not have outdoor spaces but could operate perfectly safely to further forced closure is illogical and will do serious harm.
“Hospitality and tourism businesses in Scotland have already been hammered by this crisis and most will have had no revenue for over three months. Many businesses have also struggled to access financial support and the larger businesses have been denied grant support altogether. The reality is that some businesses will not survive this crisis. The Scottish Government’s plan for reopening must ensure that every single business is given the best possible chance to survive. The route map announced does not do this.
As the Christmas stats show people are still drinking and driving despite the Scottish Government lowering the limit two years ago. This year one in 30 of the 19,000 people stopped were over the limit. Annabelle Love takes a look at how much of an impact the drink driving legislation has had on the trade and road statistics.
Just over two years ago the new drink driving law in Scotland came into force – reducing the legal breath alcohol limit from 35 to 22 micrograms per 100 millilitres of breath and effectively creating a zero tolerance approach to having anything alcoholic to drink and then driving.
The impact of the change, which came into force on December 5, 2014, on the licensed trade is well documented – and many of you reading this will no doubt have first-hand experience of it. But what about the impact the new law has had on our drinking culture and on the numbers of fatal and serious road accidents involving drivers who have been drinking?
Has there been a reduction in those figures, or is it too soon to get an accurate picture of the current situation? The new law was introduced against the backdrop of Scotland’s Road Safety Framework, which was launched in June 2009 and set out a series of priorities and specific targets for 2020, including a 40 % reduction in the number of fatalities and a 55 % reduction in the numbers of people seriously injured on the nation’s roads.
The Scottish Parliament voted unanimously in favour of the new alcohol limit, bringing Scotland into line with most of Europe. Tough penalties mean that those caught drink-driving face the prospect of a minimum 12-month driving ban, a criminal record, points on their licence and a substantial fine.
But the move also created a schism with the situation south of the Border, where the UK government retained the higher limit of 35mcg, shared only by one other European country – Malta. Before the new law was introduced, police and road safety campaigners said that around 20 people died on Scotland’s roads each year as a result of collisions involving people who were driving while over the legal limit.
A further 90 were seriously injured and 340 slightly injured as a result of drink-driving related collisions in 2013. An awareness campaign ahead of the new limit being introduced warned that the best advice was not to drink at all if you intended driving – and it was soon clear that this message had hit home with licensees across Scotland reporting a drop in takings over the festive season.
Food sales were also affected, with some venues finding that takings from meals were down by as much as a third. In January 2015, pub group Greene King said the new limit had led to slower trading across its 200 Belhaven pubs in Scotland over the Christmas period.
The firm said drink sales in England and Wales were two % up against a two % drop in Scotland over the same period, immediately after the new limit came into force. The following month a survey of 50 outlets by trade buying group Beacon found that sales had fallen by up to 60 % in the first two months of the year and some critics predicted that the new limit would have an even greater impact on the licensed trade than the smoking ban, which was introduced in 2006.
Long-term impact
Concerns were raised about the long-term impact on jobs and investment in the licensed trade. There were comparisons with prohibition, with suggestions that the new law was literally scaring people into avoiding alcohol altogether.
City centre pubs reported a slump in office trade, with a drop in the numbers of people popping in for a pint after work and lunchtime bar sales down as well. Since the penalties for drink driving are not devolved, the Scottish government has been unable to introduce lighter penalties, meaning that a driver who has even residual alcohol in their bloodstream could still face a criminal record.
This, coupled with the fact that the new lower level makes it more likely that people could still be over the legal limit the morning after the night before, has also had an impact on drinking behaviour. Bars and restaurants have found that people now tend to go out earlier in the evening and head home sharp. Customers are less likely to sit and chat over more drinks once their meal is over – but the new rules have also resulted in trends like the growth of mock-tails, free drinks for designated drivers and the introduction of smaller glass sizes.
Rural pubs and golf clubs are among those hardest hit by the change, with many citing the minimum wage as another factor weighing on their business. In June, a survey of industry trends by the Scottish Licensed Trade Association (SLTA) found that 44 % of rural outlets saw their takings fall by up to ten % in the first six months of 2016. This was off the back of a reported 40 % fall in takings for operators in remote areas during 2015.
Calls for change
The SLTA has called for a change in the way business rates are calculated for pubs – currently based on turnover – and for the number of pubs qualifying for rates relief to be doubled in a bid to ease the situation.
Willie Macleod, executive director of the British Hospitality Institute in Scotland says the new laws have changed people’s behaviour – and agrees that pubs and small hotels in rural areas have been hardest hit.
He said, “I think it’s probably fair to say that the biggest impact has been on pubs and small hotels and inns in rural areas, where under the previous drink drive legislation rightly or wrongly people would maybe stop in to have a glass of wine or a half pint of beer on their way home from work and they may well have been within the limit. I think what’s happening now is that people just don’t want to take the chance.
“Certainly BHA would not condone drinking and driving. Everybody is supportive of laws which protect the community from irresponsible people who are going to drink and drive.
“Inevitably however, even with a view that supports responsible drinking, there has been an impact as people either don’t go out or they got out less frequently, or if they are out they are not drinking.
“Our experience is that hotels have suffered less. We are finding that there more parties arriving with a designated driver, people are consuming less if they know they are going to be driving in the morning and people who’ve been at late evening functions are either checking out of the hotel later or staying in the hotel for lunch, so there has been a change in behaviour.”
Drop in sales
Kris Clark, owner of The George Hotel in Inverary, Argyll, has also seen a radical change in people’s behaviour as a result of the new law. He said, “Our customers start drinking earlier in the day and finish earlier in the evening. We noticed probably a 15 % decrease in alcohol sales in that first year. People are still drinking but just not as much.
“We have pushed our check-out time back to midday and, because of living rurally, we also have two hotel minibuses for clients so we can pick people up and drop them home again, which has helped to bring people in. We are fortunate in that we’ve got good food and we’ve got good rooms – the businesses that don’t have that will fall by the wayside.”
Not for the first time supermarkets were among the winners with Tesco reporting that sales of non-alcoholic and low alcohol beers in Scotland were up by 80 % – an increase three times higher than the rest of the UK.
Positive result for safety?
So how did the impact of new law look from a policing perspective? In the three weeks after it came into force, 255 people were caught driving under the influence of drink or drugs compared to 348 a year earlier – a drop of 27 %.
The Reported Road Casualties in Scotland 2015 report found that in the first full year the reduced limit has been in force there were 24 fewer fatal accidents (13% reduction), 98 fewer serious injury accidents (5% reduction) and 368 fewer slight injury accidents (4% reduction) compared with the previous year. However it is not possible to determine the extent to which this reduction can be attributed to the reduced drink drive limit as the information is not yet available.
The data for Scotland will be updated in September 2017 when the true picture will be clearer. Certainly the number of motorists involved in injury road accidents who either tested positive for alcohol or refused a test was already falling, down from 486 in 2004 to 228 in 2015 but the Scottish government believes the new limit has had a fresh impact on attitudes to drink driving.
A spokesman said, “Since the Scottish Government lowered the drink drive limit we’re seeing fewer accidents and, importantly, there’s also been a shift in attitudes towards even having one drink and driving, and indeed driving the day after drinking.
“The reality is that having even one alcoholic drink before driving makes you three times more likely to be involved in a fatal car crash. It’s definitely not worth that risk.”
The message is still not getting through to everybody though. Speaking at the launch of this year’s drink driving awareness campaign, Assistant Chief Constable Bernard Higgins from Police Scotland said it was disappointing that so many people were still prepared to cause danger to others as well as themselves as he revealed that 452 drivers failed a breath test between December last year and January 2016.
One in 35 drivers stopped during the festive season last year were over the legal limit or impaired by drink or drugs – compared with one in 50 motorists caught drink driving over the same period in previous year. It is too early to say whether the drop in the numbers of people killed or seriously injured on Scotland’s roads is down to the reduction in the drink drive limit or whether other factors are also in play – and the reality is that it may be several more years before we have a definitive answer.
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OKPrivacy Policy
Thompson, who joins from VisitScotland, is a senior political communications specialist, and has led VisitScotland’s policy agenda since 2013. He has helped build influential networks among Ministers, MSPs, Cabinet Secretaries and key industry stakeholders. Thompson has been instrumental in positioning the body as one of Scotland’s premier tourism and hospitality advocates.