Bars, pubs and nightclubs face a “cataclysmic Christmas” with one in three facing closure within a month, industry leaders say.
A new survey by the Night Time Industries Association of more than 500 venues reveals a fifth of nightlife businesses fear they could lose their entire workforce while a third will go out of business altogether without urgent Government support following new Covid restrictions and uncertainty over the omicron variant.
Venues have lost an average £46,000 due to cancellations during the festive period. Businesses required to introduce Covid Certification for entry to their premises report witnessing over a 40% drop in footfall.
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The Night Time Industries Association has joined other business groups in demanding action from the Government to support businesses affected by the Plan B restrictions.
Michael Kill, chief executive of the Night Time Industries Association, said: “It really is a chilling prospect to see so many venues in our sector left to bleed, with a lockdown in everything but name and absolutely no recognition of this from the Government. These venues have faced over twenty months of financial hardship and the Christmas trade period was integral to keeping those surviving businesses afloat in the upcoming year.
“If further restrictions are to be implemented, the Chancellor must step in and recognise the huge damage that waves of cancellations, driven by mixed Government messaging, resource intensive Covid protocols and costly restrictions actually have.
“The Government have had twenty months to learn how our sector operates; it is beggars belief we stand here again, as if back in March 2020, imploring the Government to listen to us, to understand how businesses work and to realise that inaction is a death sentence for our industry. It really is a cataclysmic Christmas.”
The call for support comes a day after Improvement District leaders from across the UK have wrote to the Prime Minister and the Chancellor demanding urgent backing and what they are calling a #BusinessBooster.
