CHECK OUT

CHECKOUT O ver the last month, I have gone from wildly pessimistic to less, in fact much less. There is no getting away from the fact that it is not going to be easy, getting back up on our feet, but right now nobody really knows how it is going to pan out. Not the experts, not the politicians, not any of us because this is unprecedented and none of us is psychic.

The hotel industry has had tough times before - the Gulf War, the IRA bombing, umpteen recessions - It has always bounced back and it will do the same now... whether that is the end of this year, next or the year after, it is only guesswork at the moment.

But I trust, and I said this at the start, that the Government - both the Scottish and National - will support Scotland’s tourism and hospitality industries - after all, it is critical to the health our economy, employing as it does close to 350,000 (directly and indirectly) just under 10% of the Scottish workforce. Therefore I do think they will extend the furlough, and I do think there will be support for those with Rateable values over £51K. Certainly, that is what your trade bodies are lobbying for.

There has been support for most businesses - whether in grant or loan form, although taking on more debt is not ideal.

Right now it feels like we are all in a coma - we are being kept alive, in the hope that when they bring us out of there will be a sustained recovery. Some people bounce back, healthier than others, and that will be the same now with hospitality. But I prefer to think of business as paused... I am confident that there will be support from all corners, from the Government, from each other and from your customers. People will not forget the businesses that have supported the NHS, who have adapted and delivered food, who have represented the local economy and who have looked after their staff.

But we will not forget those that have not supported us - including Booking.com and various other OTA’s and third party agencies. I see that Booking.com has gone to the Dutch Government for financial support... enough said!

However, let’s not forget the suppliers to the industry - they too, have seen their business cease. I think we will all be supporting local more than ever before, and we will be supporting businesses who supported us.

Tell me your stories, let me know how you have got on - the good and the bad.

If we have our health we have a future and that is a fact. BY SUSAN YOUNG, EDITOR

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