Welcomed announcement for tourism businesses

Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy & Tourism, Fergus Ewing confirmed that tourism businesses should prepare for a provisional return to trading on 15 July, however this is conditional on moving to the third phase of the Scottish Government route map for easing lockdown restrictions.

A new Scottish Recovery Tourism Taskforce will assist with the ongoing reset of the sector who will assess the sectors recovery needs in addition to existing support measures.

This is a welcomed relief to many, with some hoping that an ever earlier opening date may be possible with robust hygiene measures in place. Tourism businesses across Scotland should use this time to properly prepare to welcome back their customers and adapt to a new normal.

Partner and Head of EQ Leisure, Scott Greig, commented,

“The recent announcement by the Scottish Government to re-open the Tourism sector from 15 July has been well received across the industry as they had been requesting a clear strategy for easing out of lockdown. The coronavirus pandemic has presented extraordinary challenges for the sector as they were one of the first to close with many businesses seeing all income cease overnight.

I am pleased to see how engaging the Scottish Government has been with the sector and by providing a clear date to work to this will allow businesses to risk assess and plan for reopening. A wide variety of financial support packages are available and you should ensure you explore all options by speaking with your regular EQ contact or member of our leisure team.”

As members of various leisure associations including ASSC, BH&HPA and Scotland Food & Drink, we will be supporting our clients and other members of these associations to make sure they are prepared to reopen to guests. Our EQ Leisure Team are here to offer bespoke advice and support to help your tourism business prosper.

For more information or to discuss your circumstances, contact our specialist team via leisure@eqaccountants.co.uk or contact one of our offices.