Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, says it is good news for Edinburgh that tourism and hospitality businesses in the capital may be able to reopen on July 15 2020.
The announcement was made by the Rural Economy and Tourism Secretary, Fergus Ewing, in The Scottish Parliament on Thursday.
The provisional date of 15 July has been set for when tourism businesses may be able to resume operations, dependent on public health advice and progression to Phase 3 of the Scottish Government lockdown route-map.
A new Scottish Recovery Tourism Taskforce has been set up to prepare for this and assist with the ongoing reset of the sector. The taskforce will look at the sector’s recovery needs as well as actions being taken by the UK Government and the development of a new domestic visitor marketing campaign.
Gordon MacDonald, said:“The tourism and hospitality sectors in Edinburgh are vital to the city’s economy and there is no doubt that they have bene some of the hardest hit by lockdown.
“I very much appreciate the support that has been given by governments to both sectors to help get them, and their employees, through these unprecedented times.
“Whilst there is absolutely no guarantees that at this stage, this provisional announcement of 15th July is very welcome news for so many in the sectors.
“It is going to take a long time for the industries to recover but I am glad that The Scottish Government recognise this and are doing all they can to support the industries through this incredibly difficult time.”
