One in three nightclubs fear imminent closure without government aid as sector faces Omicron ‘death sentence’
One third of nightlife businesses are afraid they will close within a month, without urgent government support, as ministers mull further measures this week.
One fifth of firms fear they could lose their entire workforce without more financial aid, according to a survey of more than 500 venues by the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA).
Bosses have called for support such as business rates relief, a freeze on VAT and grants to support businesses impacted by caution over the spread of the Omicron Covid variant.
What’s more, night time economy venues have lost £46,000 per unit in lost sales and cancellations during the festive period, the survey found.
Half of all businesses in the night time economy will have to slash over half of jobs in their workforce if the government does not help, the NTIA said.
Michael Kill, NTIA chief executive, said venues had been “left to bleed” and were facing “a lockdown in everything but name” as punters were deterred by messaging on the virus this winter.
He added: “These venues have faced over twenty months of financial hardship and the Christmas trade period was integral to keeping those surviving businesses afloat in the upcoming year.”
Kill called on the Chancellor to “recognise the huge damage that waves of cancellations, driven by mixed Government messaging, resource intensive Covid protocols and costly restrictions actually have.
“The Government have had twenty months to learn how our sector operates; it beggars belief we stand here again, as if back in March 2020, imploring the government to listen to us, to understand how businesses work and to realise that inaction is a death sentence for our industry,” Kill said.