Eastbourne hoteliers upset at mixed holiday message from government ministers

Transport Minister Grant Shapps this week warned against booking holidays “internationally or domestically” while health minister Matt Hancock said he was planning a summer holiday in Cornwall.

The warning about booking holidays has led to further concerns for hoteliers, who have already been hard hit by restrictions that have given them just five months of trading since March 2020.

Kristian Hayter, the vice chair of the Eastbourne Hospitality Association, which represents more than 120 hospitality businesses across the town, said he feared for the future if the message was not clearer.

He said, “The possibility of restrictions surrounding overnight stays and holidays being further extended are a real cause for concern.

“As an industry we have gone to great lengths and expense to protect guests, and it showed in a recent survey by UK Hospitality that transmission rates in hospitality businesses were below one per cent.

“If there is any truth in the comments made by Grant Shapps, it will further endanger businesses we represent who are already on the brink of collapse.

“It is perhaps even more concerning that while Mr Shapps made his comments, Matt Hancock is also offering hope with his statements about his planned holiday in Cornwall.

“We feel like we are in a state of limbo, and so do our potential guests.”

Popular events in Eastbourne including the Nature Valley International Tennis and Airbourne air show were cancelled in 2020, yet the hospitality industry says many businesses managed to enjoy a busy period once restrictions were eased in July.

But despite the low levels of transmission in hospitality, closures were forced on the industry in November and again in late December, with guests forced to end stays early on Christmas Day as the town entered Tier 4 restrictions on Boxing Day.

Mr Hayter said that financial support from the government has been well received and quickly paid – although businesses have currently only received financial aid to last them until Monday (February 15).

He said that many of the town’s bigger hotels are in serious danger of collapse, which would have a huge impact on jobs in the town, with tourism accounting for 27 per cent of the jobs in the town – and Mr Hayter believes that more needs to be done if there is no end in sight to restrictions.

He said, “Given the current situation, we are calling for more support.

“This includes a further 12 month reduction in VAT for hospitality and business rates, while the furlough scheme will have to be extended to help preserve jobs.

“We are grateful for the support we have already received, but further grant payments will also be needed to help all of our members through this crisis.

“We are under no illusions of the seriousness of this terrible virus but the impact of continual revenue losses from 2020 compounding into 2021 tourism year, would be colossal for our town.”

The news comes in the week that Eastbourne council revealed it had lost 60 per cent of its income in 2020 due to the drop in tourism, a figure which the hospitality industry says is also reflected in the drop in turnover for bed and breakfasts and hotels in the town.

Holiday accommodation was initially forced to shut in March, reopening on July 4, before closing again in November, and open again for a short period in December, although restrictions on visiting people led to a severe drop in bookings in the pre-Christmas period.