Chief Executive of Hospitality Ulster, Colin Neill
Reacting to the latest £26m plus support package as part of the Large Tourism and Hospitality Business Support Scheme (LTHBSS) announced this afternoon, Colin Neill, Chief Executive, Hospitality Ulster said today:
“This is very welcome news for a vital part of the hospitality sector that has had to wait for a significant period of time to be supported financially, despite being some of the biggest and best known hospitality venues we have here.”
“Although this is over £26million being announced today, this will be allocated to as many as 278 hospitality and tourism businesses across Northern Ireland based on NAV and will go towards the fixed overheads of large buildings that are considerable, even when closed. We need to ensure that these mothballed businesses stand some chance of opening again, as many have not been eligible for other support packages to date.”
“With the extension of the lockdown being announced for a further four week period - which this financial aid will not cover - we now have to work with the Executive to make sure that there is a continued level of financial response for this new timeframe. The issues don’t go away.”
“We will also continue to press for payment of outstanding grants and support for those businesses that have fallen through the funding gaps.”
He added:
“It is also good to see the launch of the £4.1million Bed and Breakfast, Guest House and Guest Accommodation Scheme by the Department for the Economy to support tourist accommodation businesses severely impacted through reduced income due to Covid- 19. We would encourage all those eligible to apply at the end of the month when the scheme opens.”
On the extension to the lockdown until 5 March, Colin Neill added:
“Unfortunately the extension to the lockdown announced this afternoon comes as no surprise. The longer this lockdown goes on for, the more costly it becomes for the hospitality industry, especially when our lockdown calendar shows that we have now broken through the 300 day mark of being under severe restrictions or zero trading.
“Whilst another 6 weeks might see a short space of time in the grand scale of the pandemic, it will be the difference in some deciding never to open again, not because they have run out of patience, but because they have run out of money trying to make it through. Business owners can’t wait around forever, especially when they have families to feed and mortgages to pay.”
“This is such a struggle for the entire industry and we now must work towards the start of March to make sure the industry led recovery plan is in place, backed and wholly funded by the Executive. Now is not the time for sitting back, this is the right time to be focused on economic recovery led out by the hospitality sector.”