Donald Emslie, chair of the Edinburgh Tourism Action Group, said it would take several years to get tourist numbers back to previous levels, but pointed to the city’s lasting appeal.

“Right now consumers are only interested in their health, how they look after their kids at home, how they look after their parents, how they can volunteer to help – they are not interested in booking holidays. But that will change and we need to be ready to remind them what Edinburgh has to offer – and that hasn’t changed, the attractions people come to Edinburgh for will still be there.”

Hotels face ‘precarious position’ and likely large-scale job losses

MANY hotels will be in a precarious position and large-scale jobs losses are likely, according to Russell Imrie of the Edinburgh Hotels Association.

“The crisis is nothing short of devastating on the hotel industry,” he said. “The Festival had been the light at the end of this very dark tunnel for many hotels in Edinburgh and even that is not going to happen, so it’s a very challenging and a very tough year.

“The timing of this could not have been worse. Hotels rely on a good Easter, good spring and a good summer to give them the cushion of finances they need to see them through the low season. There will be many hotels in the city in a very precarious position.

“The prospect of large scale job losses is being held at bay at the moment because of the furlough scheme. That has only been extended to the end of June.

“Unless the economy opens up in a meaningful way from early June and if the furlough scheme is not extended, there will be large scale job losses in the industry, there’s no doubt about that.”

And he forecast that when the lockdown ended, continued social distancing requirements would mean hotels had to open under changed business model, requiring fewer staff. “Weddings and conferences will be very limited, we will probably have to have social spacing in the restaurants. Will bars be open?”

He said the industry had never faced such challenging times. But he suggested the crisis may force critics to think again about their attitudes.

“Tourism is perhaps the biggest industry in the city and there has been lots of comment about over-tourism but the lack of tourism this year may cause people to reconsider their opinion of the importance of tourism to the city, the wealth of the city and more importantly employment in the city.”

Restaurants face ‘hard times’ after crisis

THE coronavirus crisis is obliterating the city’s hospitality sector, says Paul Brennan, co-owner of Dine restaurant above the Traverse Theatre.

“We’re entering our sixth week of closure, we’re not eligible for any grants and we have zero support,” he said.

Dine has 34 employees, most of whom are now on furlough, but does not qualify for a small business grant because the rateable value is too high.

Mr Brennan said city-centre restaurants were at a disadvantage since their rateable values were going to be higher.

But he said the sector faced a difficult future when the crisis was over.

Social distancing rules would mean restaurants reducing their covers and therefore their staff, he said.

“Hospitality is the fourth largest employer in Edinburgh – 35,000 people. How many of them are going to lose their jobs?

“For small independent restaurants it’s going to be really hard.”

He said he knew of five restaurants which were unlikely to reopen when the lockdown is lifted.

“The council should put a two-year hold on issuing licences for new restaurants. We’re saturated. There are 1,850 restaurants in the city – more per head than anywhere outside London.

“And they should stop the food stalls at the Christmas market so the tourists who do come eat in the restaurants that are still trading.”

THE SCOTSMAN – 23 April 2020