NI HOSPITALITY SECTOR SHOWS DESIRE TO REOPEN WITH 12 POINT ROAD TO RECOVERY PLAN

11 May 2020

NORTHERN IRELAND'S HOSPITALITY SECTOR SHOWS ITS DESIRE TO REOPEN WITH ITS 12 POINT PLAN, AS IT FACES POTENTIAL LOSSES OF £1.1BN AND C16,000 JOBS

Today (Monday) the Hospitality Industry’s COVID-19 Response Group released its Road to Recovery Report, containing a 12 Point Plan showing the industries desire to reopen and rebuild the sector when the time is right.

The report also highlights the potential loss of £1.1bn in turnover and 15,800 jobs this year due to the Coronavirus pandemic. A catastrophic loss from its pre Covid-19 days with a turnover of C£2bn sustaining 65,000 jobs.

Chairman of the Hospitality Industry Covid-19 Response Group, Brian Murphy, Managing Partner, BDO NI, said;

“These are incredibly difficult times for many business sectors, but the hospitality industry, which was one of the first to close, is undoubtedly the hardest impacted and will most likely be the hardest to rebuild.

“However, there is a clear desire within the industry to reopen and rebuild- but that will require an ongoing partnership with Government.

“The industry will require ongoing Government support to ensure that the many thousands of jobs are preserved and that the reopening of the sector can act as a catalyst for the recovery throughout the economy.

“The ‘Road to Recovery Report’ outlines a 12 Point Plan to enable the industry to get back on its feet.”

In a joint statement Janice Gault, CEO, NI Hotels Federation and Colin Neill, CEO, Hospitality Ulster said;

“Tomorrow, the NI Executive is expected to announce a ‘road map for recovery’ and we hope that will include a date for reopening our hospitality businesses.”

“The path towards re-opening should be underpinned with sound scientific data and the wellbeing of staff and customers to the fore. A framework around which businesses can reopen that gives the sector the ability to adapt the operating procedures, review the fiscal impact on trading and assess the viability of business going forward.”

“Any decision to reopen should be based on how safe the business is, and how we can ensure it is sustainable under social distancing rules- and not based on what they sell or how large they are.”

READ THE FULL REPORT

To download the full Road to Recovery report CLICK HERE