Three hundred hotels applying for support from the government’s Hotel Support Programme.
By Lucy Ashton
Scottish Labour today said that the SNP’s failure to support Scotland’s hotel sector risks the collapse of the industry in Scotland – at the cost of thousands of jobs.
The hotel trade has been hit hard by the pandemic with almost three hundred hotels applying for support from the Scottish government’s Hotel Support Programme.
Despite this, the Cabinet Secretary for Tourism, Fergus Ewing, has stated that the Scottish government’s support fund was only intended to support ‘in the region of 60’ hotels.
Scottish Labour has said that the SNP’s catastrophic failure to comprehend the scale of the crisis in Scotland’s hotel sector risks leaving scores of hotels ‘high and dry’ with thousands of jobs at risk.
Jackie Baillie MSP for Dumbarton.
Scottish Labour deputy leader and finance spokesperson Jackie Baillie said: “The SNP’s catastrophic miscalculation on the level of support needed risks leaving scores of hotels high and dry and puts the jobs of thousands of workers at risk.
“Tourism is pivotal to Scotland’s economy, but the SNP are playing fast and loose with the very future of the industry by providing such limited support.
“Frankly, the support on offer doesn’t touch the sides. It’s time for SNP ministers to go back to the drawing board and come up with a proper plan to protect our hotel industry.”