Glasgow hospitality manager reveals ‘massive surge in cancellations and postponements’ due to Covid advice

Alex said: “Following the first ministers’ announcements, and the governments “advice” issued last week, we have seen a massive call for cancellations and postponements.

“At Saint Luke’s alone we have seen a party of 70 and a party of 120 both push back in to the new year, and a sold out, 600 capacity show pulled last weekend due to Covid, with three further shows before Christmas also now looking for new dates. This, coupled with a deluge of larger restaurant reservations cancelling this week has really put a damper on proceedings so far. “There has been a noticeable downturn in general foot fall, and the streets are ghostly for this time of year as people get wary amid the fear being talked up of the Omicron variant.”

It’s not all bad news though, as Alex explained that the live events programme, which has included The Libertines and Damon Albarn, will see the business though the month of December.

He said: “We are however still buoyed by our live events program and remain confident that if no further restrictions are put on that side of the business that December will still be a respectable month. The coming days will be the real reckoner.

“We will see fully if the public still have the faith to attend the events going ahead in our calendar this year. Today I have fielded phone calls from worried promoters enquiring around cancellation and postponement policy again, fearful that insurances won’t cover cancellations as no official closure is in place.

“No artist wants to play to a half empty show, but no one wants to be the person that pulls a show that people have spent good money on and been looking forward to for months at such short notice.” Alex added that the ways things are right now, echo the feeling of March 2020 when customers were being advised to stay away from hospitality ahead of the lockdown.

“Personally, this echoes the feeling of March 2020, when everyone was being told to stay away from our hospitality with no lifelines being put in place.

“We welcome the announcement of the £100m pot for hospitality and the wider leisure and food sectors but I fail to see how this amounts to more than a drop in the ocean that goes towards securing the future of an industry so integral to Scotland after such a tumultuous year. “I strongly believe, as I have done all along, that our sector is one of the safest places to be when being managed correctly. We still have sanitising stations in place, face coverings as standard and we can monitor behaviour and contact all the while bringing much festive cheer in what has been a bleak year for many.”