The hospitality industry, already facing mounting bills from soaring energy, food and drink prices, is set to be hit further as rail strikes prompt firms to axe their Christmas festivities.
Bloomberg has reported that pubs and restaurants have suffered a collapse in Christmas party bookings due to next week’s UK rail strikes.
Industry chiefs suggest the plunge is as bad as last year when cases of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 were surging, which hit hospitality firms in the run up to last Christmas.
Kate Nicholls, chief executive officer of the trade body UK Hospitality, said businesses were reporting cancellation rates of as much as 30%, which could blow a £1.5bn hole in revenues.
The RMT union is holding strikes on 13-14 and 16-17 December [Friday and Saturday], and from 6pm on Christmas Eve until 7am on 27 December.
The Christmas season is crucial for hospitality firms with money made during the party season keeps some pubs and restaurants afloat during the quiet times in January.
Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, said: “it’s becoming increasingly difficult to see how many businesses would make it through the quieter winter months until spring.”
Awful news for our industry at a critically difficult time. Week of the strikes usually the busiest of the year for our pubs. Much needed business will be lost and impact felt incredibly hard in the months that follow, we need a resolution now. https://t.co/KnLl2vJRGK
— Emma McClarkin OBE (@EmmaMcClarkin) December 5, 2022
She warned: “People aren’t confident they’ll be able to travel next week and so it’s almost too late now to save the festive season from ruin for pubs.