Hospitality association chairman warns of ‘dark days ahead’

Leeds Hospitality & Venues Association (LHVA) has called on the Government to “do the right thing” with just one month left before the end of the furlough scheme.

Wayne Topley, chairman of LHVA and MD, Cedar Court Hotels, said: “Preventing the spread of the virus remains our first priority but the Government rules around social distancing have been both confusing and catastrophic for the hospitality sector.

“Right now, the inconsistency of the message, is having a direct impact on customer confidence.

“How it is being interpreted, and how it is being applied is causing the industry real hardship, we strongly object to its inequities and see only more closures and more job losses.

“Business leaders are having to act now to remain viable which means cutting costs these cuts equate to lost jobs.

“A restaurant can safely apply the rule of six and social distancing during its trading hours, yet the same rules don’t apply to a meeting or a conference.

“The Government has made clear it wants the UK back in business, Event hospitality as a major employer and significant contributor to the UK economy, has sadly been ignored and left out in the cold.

“We need the Government to wake up to the fact that the sector has worked hard to put in place adequate systems to look after its guests.

“Trust the track and trace system and trust that all businesses will ‘Do the right thing’ to ensure that their customers always come first.”

He highlighted that Leeds is heavily dependent on tourism business over the summer months, a sector which has seen an uplift this year due to the popularity of staycations.

Topley said the announcement of the 10pm curfew resulted in mass cancellations of much of this fledgling business recovery.

He added the industry is seriously questioning the wisdom of this decision, given that the recent results have seen people teeming onto the streets with little, if any, social distancing.

He said: “Hospitality and Event business have invested millions to ensure the safety of their guests and their team whilst on their premises.

“These COVID safety precautions include sanitiser stations, one-way systems, social distancing, screens, single-use menus, online-apps, table service and track and trace – every conceivable action to keep customers safe and protected and give them confidence whilst under their care.

“The 10pm curfew makes a mockery of, not only the huge amount of effort the hospitality industry has undertaken to keep customers safe, but it also undermines its huge investment.

“We have real concern for the industry, and the many people who rely on it for their income and livelihood and as the last month of furlough looms, this may be the final death knell.

“Without a radical rethink, hospitality businesses are going to have to make some extremely painful and difficult decisions today, and many simply will not survive.”