It has been a long time coming, but the announcement of several changes to the restrictions has been welcomed by Scotland.
Nicola Sturgeon’s new framework was announced last week with the Covid vaccine passport scheme no longer in place as of today.
This will have a major effect on large-scale events, such as football games and music concerts.
The other immediate change is that the government is now asking people to routinely test at least twice a week, and not as and when they’re going out.
More changes will come into effect in March when the legal requirement to wear face coverings in indoor settings will be dropped – a move which will benefit many businesses.
In particular, I instantly thought of the Scottish hospitality sector, an industry which has been hard-hit by Covid and its subsequent restrictions.
Ahead of the government’s new strategy being announced, the Scottish Hospitality Group had urged the Scottish government to axe the vaccine passport scheme, as well as lifting the law on wearing face coverings when inside.
It will also be a relief for restaurants, pubs, and hotels that they will no longer need to use Test and Protect – a system which has faced a barrage of problems and caused financial losses as a result.
Following the positive announcement, the Scottish Hospitality Group and other trade organisations should be pleased with the outcome.
However, with some normality set to resume for these businesses, many people, like myself, will be asking whether it’s enough to save the industry, or is it simply too late?
Hospitality bosses have begged the government for months now to make these changes and waiting until March 21st may be disappointing for some.
The worry is that a lot can change in that time.
Now that it is only guidance and not a legal requirement, I believe it does give businesses more control, as they can make the decision on how it works best for them and their customers which is certainly a move in the right direction.
It might seem like we’re coming out the other side but, to this day, we’re still seeing the effects of the pandemic and its multiple lockdowns on our economy.
Just last week popular Aberdeen bar, The No. 1 Bar & Grill, announced it was closing its doors as the Christmas coronavirus restrictions left the owners with no other option.
Multiple hospitality businesses have already fallen at this hurdle, and there will be more to come.
Across the industry, it’s been a tough couple of years with enforced closures and restrictions, and this was evident in the financial results for well-known Scottish hotel brand, Crerar Hotels.
Its turnover in 2021 dropped to £5.49m, down from £15.5m in the prior financial year, however this is all relative when comparing it to similar organisations. And, in fact, Crerar Hotels has fared rather well considering the circumstances.
The hotel group used this time instead to invest in its people and premises, with a combined £10m committed over the past year to refurbishing and repositioning key properties within its portfolio.
Looking at the positives, when restrictions are fully lifted and we return to normality, hopefully in time for the summer season, Crerar will be in a very strong position to welcome both staycationers who are still wary of travelling abroad, and international travellers, desperate to holiday in Scotland.
That is, if all goes well and travel well and truly returns.
The lessening of restrictions will be a transition however, in my opinion, it will allow the industry to get back on its feet, take advantage of the demand and hopefully start to fully recover.
Personally, I will be glad to say goodbye to the vaccination certification scheme, and I am sure I am not alone in this.
At this point, we can only hope that enough has been done to save the many businesses which are currently struggling to stay afloat.
There is a lot riding on these changes, and I sincerely hope that they are being implemented in time.
Edinburgh Airport’s Job Drive Lifts Travel Industry Hopes
It’s no secret that the travel industry was almost decimated over the past two years.
With restrictions on travel, countries closing their borders to both tourists and citizens, and the testing process before, after and during the trip, the idea of planning holidays was becoming a foreign concept in itself.
So, the news that Edinburgh Airport is planning a recruitment drive and intends to fill one thousand jobs across the complex is hopefully the light at the end of this very long and weary tunnel.
Chief Executive of Edinburgh Airport, Gordon Dewar, reflected on the effect the pandemic has had on the airport and the surrounding campus, making the point that almost two thousand jobs were lost from all areas of the airport and many partnerships also disappeared as ‘travel came to a complete standstill’.
The hunt for people to fill half of the positions lost to covid will be starting in the next few weeks and the airport will be looking for such skills as aviation security, customer service, and car park staff, however only 20 per cent of the positions will be airport specific.
The remaining two fifths of roles will be filled across external partners, including retail and handling agents to name a few.
I am relieved that the travel industry, and aviation in particular, is predicting a recovery this year and that more jobs will be created to fill the ones lost to redundancies.
According to a report by WPI Strategy, Scotland’s aviation industry is worth £4 billion a year to our economy, and with 64 per cent of UK business leaders believing that domestic and international travel is key to their future plans, trips abroad, for work or pleasure, will be an integral steppingstone for Scotland’s recovery.
It Made Me Laugh
When you think of a Greggs pairing, you possibly conjure up images of a lukewarm chicken bake and a doughnut, however some bright (or crazy) mind decided that a collaboration with Primark was the way to go.
And you know what, they might have been right.
The reasonably priced clothing collab was released over a week ago, and consequently sold out within half an hour.
Entrepreneurial pastry fans who were lucky enough to grab one of the tasty designs have run straight to eBay to sell the items for an inflated cost, with some people hoping to achieve £140 for a hoodie that originally priced at £16.
I love to see this kind of ambitious thinking but have to wonder if people are taking the pastry with this one.
It Made Me Weep
From this Friday (4th March), councils in Scotland will be permitted to impose a parking tax on spaces provided by employers, in an attempt to dissuade people from taking their cars to work.
Businesses operating in any council area that decides to implement the Workplace Parking Levy (WPL) can either foot the annual fee themselves, or pass the cost to workers, removing the option of free parking facilities.
Get Glasgow Moving campaigners are already calling for an integrated transport system, with trains and buses running to coordinated times and one travel pass to cover them all.
But our current public transport system is miles away from being fit for this type of purpose anywhere in the country and punishing workers and employers with an anti-car tax would be sheer stupidity from local authorities.
