ALL candidates for the upcoming Scottish Parliament election are being urged to sign a pledge to support Scotland’s hospitality industry ahead of the election in May.
The five-point pledge, drawn up by the Scottish Hospitality Group (SHG), asks candidates to acknowledge the “vital role that the hospitality sector plays in the fabric of Scotland’s economy”; recognise the impact the sector has on public finances, pensions and community investment; “appreciate the extraordinary measures taken by the responsible hospitality businesses and their staff to implement government rules and keep the public safe”; and support an industry/government working group to devise a plan for recovery – and also to develop “better contingency planning in case of similar disruption in future”.
The pledge also requires a commitment to visit a local hospitality business as soon as restrictions permit to see first-hand the COVID-19 measures put in place and to “show support for those whose jobs or livelihoods depend on the sector”.
“These are simple non-political requests and if a candidate isn’t prepared to support them then it suggests voters might like to ask them some serious questions about their views on this vital industry,” said SHG spokesman Stephen Montgomery.
“Hospitality is worth £10.6bn to the Scottish economy annually and employs 285,000 people, many of whom are young Scots under 25.”
