Hospitality Industry

I also work in hospitality and it has been hit so hard by coronavirus. I would be keen to get back to work as soon as possible but even when lockdown is lifted I reckon it will take a little while before people will feel comfortable being in busy, confined spaces again.

Hi Eoin and Amy,

I’m actually a journalist who covers the hospitality industry as a niche, so I’ve been lucky enough to be on a few conference calls recently discussing this very question.

The first problem is we don’t know when the strict lockdown rules will end, and even once they do there’s likely to be caution from consumers and companies. It’s unlikely to kick straight into gear and will likely all come back to life in stages.

Some of the experts I’ve spoken to expect the industry to feel the pinch in some form for the next 12 months, or until a vaccine is widely distributed. This sucks I know, but it’s going to be necessary in making sure COVID-19 doesn’t come back for a another round.

Secondly it may all depend on what each company chooses to do. Some may open in any capacity the law allows them too, while others may take a more soft approach. So it depends on your employers too and how they want to handle it. They will be keen to earn so I imagine they’ll do all the can to safely operate. It’s just hard to know when and by how much.

But here’s the good news, the hospitality industry is expected to bounce back. In fact, it was recently suggested that a boom in the industry could be instrumental to the UK’s economic recovery. Although not everyone agrees. Industry leaders do believe that better days are coming though, that’s because the public will be missing bars, restaurants, cafes and hotels and are keen to enjoy them again.

When people are able, and the coast is clear of COVID, people will want to make up for lost time and this means getting back out there and enjoying themselves. The hospitality sector is expected to reap the rewards of this. That means that when the time comes there will be plenty of work and hours on offer. The hard part is pinpointing when.

Hope this helps.

I think that while the industry is likely to take a hit, it’s going to be short-term. Every single person I’ve spoken to in the past week (and it’s quite a lot – dog walkers are chatty people even when socially distancing!) has said the number one thing they miss is the simple pleasure of nipping out for a coffee or meeting friends over dinner.

Should lockdown end before summer really kicks in, I think the hospitality industry is likely to see a quick boom – especially if they focus on outdoor spaces (lazy Sundays in a pub garden, anyone?). Cheap eats and cafes will see the fastest bounce – we’re all going to feel the economic pinch so higher-end places might take longer to recover.

Sam’s right though – while things are bleak right now, they WILL pick up 🙂