Growing concerns that hospitality sector will be "hit hardest" by coronavirus outbreak
There are growing concerns that the hospitality sector will be hit hardest by the coronavirus outbreak.
It comes after the Chief Medical Officer, Chris Whitty, warned social distancing measures could be in place for the rest of the year.
It could mean hotels, restaurants and pubs are unable to open - or have to do so with very tight restrictions.
UKHospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls said: "The hospitality sector was one of the first hit by the crisis and the hardest hit in terms of lost revenue. It will also be one of the last to fully emerge from the lockdown.”
Nick Birch runs a boating company in Stratford-Upon-Avon, offering river cruises in the summer months. This year he'll do very limited business - if any at all.
Like Mr Birch, one of Stratford's top attractions - The Royal Shakespeare Theatre - is also closed.
And being Shakespeare's birthday, they're used to welcoming huge crowds.
Geraldine Collinge, Director of Events said: "It's normally one of our busiest days of the year and obviously on a glorious day like this, Stratford would be packed with visitors, but I think it's undoubtable that there'll be an impact on the town and on the region in terms of visitors."
The fall in visitors is also affecting local shops. Clothing store owners Samantha and Simon Wheeler think they'll be okay until the autumn with government support - but aren't sure what would happen after that.
UKHospitality is warning that “up to half a million workers could miss out on government support because they're seasonal workers, and in a town like this that relies so heavily on tourism, it could have a devastating impact on the hospitality sector".
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