Bristol's hospitality sector feel "thrown under the bus", says night-time economy adviser
Many have faced mass cancellations of bookings in the last two weeks
Bristol's night-time- economy adviser says the hospitality sector feel like they've "been thrown under the bus".
Many have faced mass cancellations due to the spread of the Omicron Covid-19 variant causing them huge financial loss.
Some businesses have decided to shut completely for the festive period and it's thought many more may do the same over the next few days.
"The people who I've been speaking to who run hospitality businesses in the city are saying it feels like March 2020 all over again", says Carly Heath.
"They've had mass cancellations, mass no-shows and we're already seeing venues deciding they aren't going to open again until after Christmas.
"The situation here is really quite depressing."
Carly continues: "The weekend before Christmas, the weekend just gone, should have been one of the highlights of the year.
"Even in policing terms they call it the "Black Friday" because of the amount of people who are out in the streets.
"Really it was more of a bleak Friday and we saw tumble weeds up and down our high streets."
Yesterday the Chancellor announed a £1bn support package for struggling hospitality businesses.
Rishi Sunak also announced measures where small to medium sized businesses could claim back Statutory Sick Pay from the Government which they've had to pay to staff who are absent from work.
It comes following mounting pressure from the industry to put in measures to help them through the Christmas period.
A number of orgabisations in bristol, including Bristol BIDS, Business West and the Bristol Food Union, wrote a letter to Mr. Sunak.
They outlined how the spread of the new variant and fears of further restrictions doesn't just affect the businesses.
They explain how it has a ripple effect further down the line to supply chains from food production to taxis in the streets.
Carly adds: "Hospitality has about three weeks to earn as much money as it can to pay January, February and March's wages, rent, bills overheads and all of that.
"So losing that crucial three weeks worth of revenue is devestating for the industry."