Streaming Now
Facebook

Precautions or Hysteria? Hospitality risks losing Christmas trade

Tue, 30 Nov 2021


Precautions or Hysteria? Covid decision prompts a variety of reactions and Hospitality risks losing Christmas trade.

The Manx hospitality industry is about to suffer another devastating blow as corporate businesses are cancelling their Christmas parties in the wake of the latest covid developments.

In what has been described as a ‘massive over reaction’, a local hospitality business who doesn’t want to be named for fear of a backlash, says that there is just not enough help coming from Government and the loss of the Christmas trade will finish off some local firms and cause job losses.

Another restaurateur, Aris Dassoulas who runs the Fig & Olive in Castle Street, told Energy FM News that he had spent £1000’s on stock and hired more staff ready for the festive period and says it is now shaping up to be a very difficult month. He also confirmed that a major corporate had cancelled a booking as a direct response to latest measures brought in by the Manx Government.

Chief Minister Alfred Cannan announced on Sunday that precautionary measures were being brought in, but they did not extend to the restricting the hospitality trade which mirrors the rules in England. This however has not stopped some of the big corporates from sending their ‘risk’ teams in to overdrive and start hastily cancelling Christmas Parties. Zurich is among firms who have cancelled functions with local restaurants.

With none of the previous rules on social distancing and work from home directives in law, some are calling the latest measures by corporate firms a ‘self imposed lockdown’.

Meanwhile Children at Arbory School have been told to wear extra clothes as the school intends to inflict freezing conditions by operating the school with extra ventilation. We have approached the Education Minister for comment.

As temperatures across the Island plummet, many parents have expressed anger and accused the decision makers of losing all sense of reality and going way in excess of the Government’s actual advice.

Are you in the hospitality trade? How have these latest measures affected your business? Please let us know by contacting news@energyfm.net


 

Subscribe to get Energy FM News direct to your mobile device

You can get Energy FM News delivered direct to your mobile device using one of the following methods.

  • In the Apple News App on iOS search for Energy FM IOM and then just add it to your favourites
  • In the Google News & Weather App just search for Energy FM and then add us as a customised section
  • If you use an RSS Reader then just add our feed to your app, click here for our news RSS feed