Budget wishlist from Bristol hoteliers
Hoteliers are hoping for a ‘hospitable’ helping hand from Chancellor Rishi Sunak when he delivers his second budget on 3 March.
Bristol hoteliers say the budget is the ideal opportunity for the government to demonstrate its desire to treat their sector as fairly as other industries, which it has not done in the past.
Their wish-list for the budget includes extending the furlough scheme, extending the reduced rate of VAT for hospitality businesses for another 12 months, and a 100% holiday on business rates, covering the next financial year.
Raphael Herzog, Chair of the Bristol Hoteliers Association, has written to local MPs asking them to urge the Chancellor to include these measures in his budget.
He said: “I am confident that, with these measures, our hospitality businesses can do their bit to help this great country build back better and stronger than ever.
“We can start to employ more people, support out local supplies and build on our sense of local pride, investing in our premises and places.
“Most importantly, we can go back to doing what we do best, providing a fantastic experience for our customers and bringing people in our community together.
“Furlough has been a lifeline for so many of us, but it will take time to recover, so we need that extended.
“The VAT cut will help us provide an affordable experience for our customers, many of whom will have had financial struggles of their own. Being able to afford to come to our hotels will help boost the local economy.
“The business rates holiday will help reduce our costs, enabling us to put our businesses on a more sustainable footing and go some way to securing our long-term recovery.
“As more and more people get vaccinated, the lockdown restrictions will hopefully begin to ease and in that case, we are expecting a strong summer.
“Being vaccinated will make people feel more confident, but perhaps not confident enough to holiday abroad, so we could see a welcome surge in staycations. People will be desperate to take a holiday after such a long period of confinement.
“Bristol did quite well last summer every time lockdown restrictions were eased, with lots of people looking for city breaks.
“So far this year, even with hotels open for essential workers, occupancy rates in Bristol are around 29%, compared to a national average of 24%, so with the right package of support in the budget, we can be cautiously optimistic about the future.
“We’ve already seen conference bookings be moved to the final quarter of 2021 and into 2022 – which means the business will be there for us if we can get there, which is why we need the furlough to continue, the VAT extension and business rates holiday.
“The recovery will be a long, slow, process and we expect it to take several years for things to get back to the kind of levels they were in 2019.
“Before the budget, we know that The Prime Minister is due to make some major announcements on 22 February.
“We hope he will reveal a roadmap for recovery, and that this includes some clarity for our industry, and that we get treated fairly.
“Despite our considerable investment in making our hotels as Covid-safe as possible, we’ve always been among the first businesses to close and the last to be allowed to re-open.
“All we are asking is to be treated fairly, and in the same way as non-essential shops. We do not want to see unhelpful restrictions like a 10pm curfew, only being allowed to serve alcohol with substantial meals and a confusing tier system.
“We need a clear roadmap, a clear strategy, a commitment to providing us with more support, and we need to be treated fairly.
“With the right support, we can recover. When restrictions eased last summer, people were quick to return to the bars, restaurants and hotels, and we hope to be able to welcome them back again this summer, knowing that we’ve got the support we need to secure our long-term future.
“I also believe that the recovery of our industry can also be the catalyst to help the recovery of other important sectors within the UK.”
