As the dust settles in Holyrood following the Scottish Parliament election earlier this month, political attention has, for the moment, shifted to Europe and the June 23 referendum on whether or not Britain will remain part of the EU.
And while Brussels isn’t as close to home as the foot of the Royal Mile, the result could have major ramifications for Scottish licensed trade businesses and the tourism industry as a whole.
From visitors, staff and imported food and wine to the economy, inflation and business regulation, Europe, and our position within it, touches all corners of the hospitality industry.
And it seems those in the industry are very much divided when it comes to whether or not we should remain in the EU.
A new survey by the Institute of Hospitality revealed that just over half of hospitality managers have said they will vote to remain in the EU, while the boss of pub giant JD Wetherspoon is squarely in the Brexit camp, and trade groups and individual operators have been split in their views so far.
Last week, the Forum of Private Business reiterated its calls for more detail from both sides.
And that is absolutely vital.
While the politicians engage in point scoring, business owners and employees are left considering each option with very little concrete information to go on.
How would Brexit impact on the free movement of people around the EU? And would it affect imports of food and wine? Equally, if we remain in the EU, will its influence over policies and regulation change going forward?
With only four weeks to go, it seems there is still much detail needed from both sides of the debate.
