Let’s face it. We’ve all had a tough last year, not least hospitality, having been one of the hardest hit sectors by the double blow of Brexit and Covid. We’ve had some delays in policy decisions that have affected our reopening plans and still face some uncertainty as to exactly what the next year will hold for us.
Do not despair
This is the time for us start thinking positively. It promises to be a warm summer and we know that the warm weather will have a positive impact on Covid rates. The UK vaccination roll out has been largely a success with almost 46 million people having received their 1st vaccination and 35 million receiving the 2nd. We have had over a year to prepare and adapt, not only to the current situation, but also what the next stages are likely to be. We have trained teams, adopted new technology, launched new services, and communicated with our customers and clients throughout. Suppliers across the country, from artisan producers and farmers to emerging technology providers, are geared up for us get back to work. We are ready.
Green shoots are starting to show
And, despite the recent delays in policy, the green shoots are starting to show. More than half of our sites are open with some form of service being delivered by our teams and the majority of our clients have plans to reopen within the next 3 months. There is still a lot of uncertainty on what the new normal will be and we know we may never get back to the way things used to be. Some clients are going back to the way things were as soon as they are allowed to do so while others are adopting hybrid working practices, with work being conducted from home and the office space being used more for collaboration and engagement.
We are ready
With foreign travel still in doubt, the UK hospitality and tourism sectors have a great opportunity to give our economy a boost. What is in no doubt is the fact the everyone has missed seeing their families, friends and colleagues and people can’t wait to start sharing experiences in person once again. That can only be good news for our sector. Whether it’s a coffee, a drink, a meal, concert or sporting event, the hospitality sector is ready and we can’t wait to see you.
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