Corona fury: the hospitality industry has to remain closed even longer, and it’s hitting incredibly hard
Hospitality entrepreneurs already saw the storm coming, but when Rutte confirmed the news, it caused a wave of fury. Because despite all the preparations for the 1.5-metre economy: the doors of hospitality businesses will remain closed until 20 May. And for many hospitality businesses, that is an outright disaster.
Rutte can well imagine that people had hoped the measures that ran until 28 April would be ended and that entrepreneurs could get back to work. But the easing must be arranged ‘step by step’, according to Rutte. ‘One person’s freedom must not come at the expense of another person’s health.’ It makes sense that the reopening of the hospitality industry will not go from zero to normal overnight, and we all understand that the hospitality industry will look different than ever before, at least for the time being. Many hospitality entrepreneurs, such as Jonnie Boer, have therefore already taken measures. But the fact that the hospitality industry was not mentioned once during the press conference? Dismaying, is the general feeling.
Zero perspective
KHN chairman Robèr Willemsen is angry, and rightly so. ‘I understand that the cabinet has chosen to extend the closure of the hospitality industry. Whether that is until 20 May, as has now been decided, or longer. It is apparently necessary, so understandable. But Rutte should at least have offered certain parts of the industry some perspective: what can we expect, where are we headed? By saying nothing now, the cabinet is effectively saying: let those businesses die. The hospitality industry is a sector in which so much money circulates every year; it is of enormous value to our country. The fact that he says nothing is not right. He should have encouraged entrepreneurs’, he tells hospitality trade magazine Entree Magazine.
Disaster scenario
But however you look at it: for most businesses, a 1.5-metre business is simply not viable. Turnover would then amount to one-third of what you can normally achieve. Robèr: ‘The government will have to introduce additional support measures. As long as these are not promised, preparing this kind of 1.5-metre hospitality business simply makes no sense for very many companies. Even now, 10% have no reserves, a quarter have enough for a maximum of one month, and one-third of the businesses can last for two to three months. If action is not taken quickly, two-thirds will not make it to 1 July. But if nothing happens, that number will become much, much higher.’
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