Outdoor hospitality bookings soar ahead of April reopening, research shows
New research from hospitality jobs board Caterer.com shows that books across the sector have surged, with nearly a third of people saying that being unable to visit hospitality venues has affected their mental health.
According to the survey, pent-up demand could inject £2.4bn into the economy in the first month of reopening, with customers expected to spend an average of £167 each in pubs and restaurants.
“Hospitality businesses have been unfairly subjected to tighter restrictions than other sectors throughout the pandemic and our research shows just how eager people are to get back into hospitality venues," says Neil Pattison, director of Caterer.com.
"As we’ve seen over the last year, businesses have gone to great lengths to ensure the safety of customers. Many have remodelled to allow for more outdoor space enabling them to remain open within safety guidelines."
A recent analysis by BigHospitality revealed that many operators are throwing everything they have at outdoor dining in order to be able to reopen in April.
Earlier this week the Government announced that hospitality businesses will have greater flexibly to set up marquees and provide more outdoor space for diners as restrictions ease.
Since the 22 February roadmap announcements, Caterer.com has seen job adverts increase by 84% as businesses prepare to meet demand for people eager to make up for lost time.
"The recovery of the sector is crucial to the wider economy of the UK and at Caterer.com we’re already seeing green shoots appear with more jobs being advertised as businesses gear up for reopening and the prospect of a busy summer," adds Pattison.
