Tourism industry calls for date for reopening – Marc Crothall comments to BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland

Marc Crothall spoke to Good Morning Scotland earlier this morning, commenting:

“The support that has been made available to the industry – especially the furlough scheme – has been very welcome.

“And the early grant support to smaller businesses has managed to keep a few of them alive in the short-term.

“But 2500 businesses have not qualified for grants from the outset. The current hibernation costs of those is excessive.

“The concern now is, unless we get a date to open up tourism again, many won’t even make it to the start line.

“What we are already hearing from many businesses is, following the announcement from the prime minister, that people who were looking to vacation in Scotland are now already booking to have their holiday south of the Border.

“We need to capture as much of that market as possible. Publishing a date – accepting the fact it may need to move – is what the industry needs.

“This isn’t about 2000 businesses – it’s about the industry as a whole.

“There is no way the tourism sector and supply chain that feeds it can survive without longer term support right the way through the summer and into next year.”