Hospitality firms failed and ignored by Government'

Night-time economy adviser speaks out after new figures reveal how much sector has suffered since the pandemic, writes Ben Arnold

- Ben Arnold

THE UK has lost billions of pounds in income from the pub, restaurant and nightclub industry in the post-pandemic period, according to a new report. The hospitality business contributed nearly £37 billion in gross domestic product (GDP) to the UK economy in 2019, but this had dropped to £24 billion by 2021.

The startling new figures have been published by the Night Time Industries Association, as record numbers of bars, restaurants, pubs and theatres close down. The number of people employed by the sector has also fallen from 425,000 people across 38,000 businesses in 2018, to 392,000 jobs and 34,000 businesses in 2021.

Sacha Lord, chair of the NTIA and the night-time economy advisor to mayor Andy Burnham, said in a statement: "The Government has failed independent business operators and the cultural sector across the UK. The report produced by the NTIA shows how hard these sectors have been hit over the last few years, delivering a stark reality of the challenges faced by the industry."