A hotelier from Pitlochry is joining forces with some of the biggest names in Scottish hospitality to help safeguard around 220,000 jobs as the industry faces “its toughest winter” since the start of the pandemic.
Owner of McKays Hotel Richard Drummond is teaming up with over 50 other firms - including Edinburgh’s Brewhemia and the Banchory Lodge in Aberdeenshire - for the ‘Help Out Hospitality’ campaign to support firms battling for survival due to rapidly escalating costs.
Energy is the biggest reported cost hike on top of massive increases in food and labour bills this winter.
Many business owners believe this could be a stretch too far without the vital support of initiatives.
Since last year, commercial energy bills are around 400 per cent higher, food bills are up by around 20 per cent and labour costs have increased by around 10 per cent.
The Bank of England’s biggest interest rate rise since 1989 (up by 0.75 percentage points to three per cent), is also having an impact on consumers, who are already starting to tighten their belts further and cut spending on eating out.
Now, support has been drawn from across Scotland with hoteliers, restaurateurs and publicans, who are teaming up to highlight the scale of the crisis facing the industry and help drive footfall and bookings this winter.
The ‘Help Out Hospitality’ Initiative has been designed to incorporate every aspect of the hospitality supply chain, including food and drink producers, allowing businesses to create enticing consumer deals on both meals and overnight stays at a time which typically sees a drop in business.
The new commission-free ‘Help Out Hospitality’ online platform is now live for hospitality businesses to promote offers, attract direct bookings and allow customers to enjoy the best value over the quieter winter months.
Richard Drummond, owner of McKays Hotel in Pitlochry, Perthshire, said: “Help is precisely what the hospitality and tourism industry requires.
“After the past three years, the closures, the uncertainties, staffing issues, and now spiralling costs.
“The Full Range came up with the ‘Help Out hospitality’ initiative to support our industry. However, it not only helps our industry, but it also helps everyone, our suppliers, and the end user, it allows us to pass the discount we receive, on to our customers. Hopefully, this will drive additional revenue to our businesses and offer our guests great savings, which is a win-win for all.”
Hospitality supply chain firms already supporting the initiative include Arran Dairies, Taste of Arran, Mark Murphy and Dole Foodservice, Grahams Family Dairy, Campbell Prime Meats, Gilmours and George Campbell.
For more information visit www.helpouthospitality.com
