Hospitality business owners reveal that two thirds of their festive bookings have been cancelled

Business owners in Glasgow said they have seen parties cancelled due to the rise in Omicron cases and that it is hard to be ‘optimistic’.

On Tuesday, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced new advice that only three households should mix in the run up to Christmas Day.

Graham Suttle, managing director of Kained Holdings which owns Lebowskis, The Finnieston and Porter and Rye revealed over the last week, two-thirds of his bookings have been cancelled.

He said: “The announcement has been nothing short of a let-down, yet again.

“It’s a bit of a slap in the face. Two-thirds of bookings have been cancelled. That’s primarily because people don’t really know what’s acceptable and what’s not acceptable, they don’t really know the details.

“It’s not good enough for a government to update an industry may or may not be closing.

“What about people’s travel plans? They’ve bought their turkey already. It’s just representative of what the last three years have been for everybody.”

“£100m for the self-isolation fund and £100m for the biggest employer in Scotland? That shows you the level the government puts the hospitality industry in terms of importance.

“Thirty per cent of our annual income comes from Christmas time. It comes from parties and large gatherings.

“We don’t have that now and the question we all have now is: is it worth us staying open during the Christmas period? But hospitality will always find a way to get through like we always do.

“It’s important for people to support their locals, it’s important for people to get out to restaurants and eat out in smaller groups.

“Everybody just needs to stay safe and stay sensible but enjoy yourself - it’s Christmas. Let’s get out and celebrate.”