‘Christmas isn’t cancelled - most people want parties to go ahead’: city hospitality bosses on latest measures

The city’s retail and hospitality sectors in particular urgently require more information about the new mutation, commerce chiefs have said.
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The ongoing efforts to battle Covid-19 have shifted into a new gear with the detection and spread of the Omicron variant.

Travel bans have once again been put in place and it is now mandatory for face coverings to be worn on public transport and in shops.

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But what does the new variant mean for Manchester’s businesses?

Local business leaders say those likely to be most affected, such as retail and hospitality, have a list of questions which urgently need answering.

How will the Omicron variant affect hospitality?

There has been some concern expressed that there could be a rash of cancellations of large events in the run-up to Christmas, with Dr Jenny Harries, chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency, urging the public to cut back on unnecessary socialising on Tuesday.

However, so far there does not seem to be a knock-on effect in Manchester and the hospitality sector is still expecting a busy festive season.

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Subrahmaniam Krishnan-Harihara, head of research at the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, said: “We’ve had a few cancellations in the hospitality sector. The Chamber itself has an events and conferencing space on Deansgate and we’ve had a couple of events cancelled this week.

“I haven’t heard of Christmas parties being cancelled, hospitality businesses don’t want to create a panic and I don’t think we should be contributing to that.

“The guidelines say hospitality businesses can continue to operate.”

Bar man collecting glasses at a pubBar man collecting glasses at a pub
Bar man collecting glasses at a pub

Adrian Ellis, the Lowry Hotel general manager and chairman of the Manchester Hoteliers’ Association, said: “We have seen a little nervousness with some bookings cancelling or postponing their events

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“However, this is a small trickle at this time as we are still incredibly busy and are still expecting a very strong festive season.

“All our Christmas parties and events are still going ahead as planned.

“Hotels in the city are showing a similar story and we continue to watch for any further developments in the news.

“However, the hospitality industry is hoping that we have an altogether better Christmas period than last year and that we don’t return to more stringent lockdown measures.”

‘We don’t know what is going to happen’

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Mr Krishnan-Harihara said businesses currently have a lot more questions than answers on what is going to happen during the three weeks the latest measures have been brought in for and after that.

He said: “Businesses are wondering what is going to happen and whether or not more restrictions are going to be brought in.

“It’s the uncertainty that is affecting them at the moment.

“Businesses are asking us about these things and the honest answer is that currently we don’t know.”

What are the issues facing Greater Manchester businesses with the Omicron variant?

One of the biggest issues for sectors such as hospitality and retail is the prospect of large numbers of staff testing positive for Covid-19 and having to self-isolate, especially as there are already quite large shortages in the labour market.

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Parties and celebrations during the festive season, events such as the Manchester Christmas Markets and the Boxing Day sales all make this time of year an important one for revenue for these sectors.

Mr Krishnan-Harihara said: “I think the concern for many businesses is how transmissible this is. If they are operating in an open-air environment they are going to be safer, depending on the numbers of people.”

Subrahmaniam Krishnan-Harihara, Head of Research at Greater Manchester Chamber of CommerceSubrahmaniam Krishnan-Harihara, Head of Research at Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce
Subrahmaniam Krishnan-Harihara, Head of Research at Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce

He said the ongoing efforts to maximise the vaccination programme is important as well as how the authorities are going to ensure people follow the new rules that have just been introduced.

He said: “Vaccination take-up and the speed at which the UK can roll out the booster are both going to play a part.

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“We also need to understand exactly what the plan is. Enforcement is key.

“It is critical that these measures are implemented and enforced, but we don’t want any business or staff put in a situation where they are responsible for enforcement. That would be just wrong.

“The public health messaging from our civic leaders is extremely important.”