Christmas party cancellations 'heartbreaking' for hospitality industry as Omicron fears hit bookings

Restaurants and hotels across the south say they're having dozens of Christmas party cancellations as people worry about the Covid Omicron variant.

December is often the busiest period for most venues but many are finding bookings have dropped dramatically.

The message from the government still remains that there is no need to cancel Christmas events. But businesses across the Meridian region say that's not being reflected in their bookings.

One venue has revealed it has lost forty percent of its festive party bookings since the Omicron variant announcement, with many people calling to ask for refunds or vouchers to use in the new year.

Pete Lumber is the owner of the Newbury pub said, "It's had a massive impact on the business. We've lost forty percent of our bookings, with people cancelling as soon as the message got out to people.

"Our bookings are already down fifty percent compared with before Covid, so now forty percent of those bookings have cancelled, so it's had a massive impact on the business.

"Obviously January and February are slow months, you would take a lot more money in December, but you have the chance to sell your business to people that don't normally come in. You get repeat custom from those people throughout the year.

Pete Lumber, Owner, The Newbury

He added, "It's a real struggle. I'm not the only one in this predicament, everyone else is in the same situation. It's not looking very good for next year.

"People tell us because of what the Government are saying, they then are cancelling their parties. No-one seems to know what they can and what they can't do. At one time you had to wear a mask in a pub and not in a shop, and now it seems the other way round. I'm getting confused myself, and I watch the regular updates. The rules are just different all the time.

The Newbury pub had around 2,200 bookings, with almost 900 of those cancelled. But the pub relies on walk-in bookings as well as those customers who are only drinking.

According to the pub's owner, many firms have cancelled their parties, following other well-known companies.

Many pubs like the Newbury, rely on a busy December to keep them afloat during the quieter months of January and February.

Valpy Street in Reading has seen a high volume of customers over the last six months, and was expecting Christmas to be one of its busiest ever.

But since the confirmed cases of the Omicron Covid variant, more than one hundred bookings have cancelled.

Andrew Norman is Director at Valpy Street in Reading said, "Those spaces have been filled up again, but we are going from one extreme to another. We think we're in trouble, and then suddenly we're not, but then we never know what's going to happen next.

He added, "Most people are cancelling because of the new variant, while a few are cancelling because Covid cases are going up.

"We are also getting a lot more people booking for smaller tables, and I think there's quite a change in people's attitudes towards whether it's going to be as bad as before, and they don't seem to think so.

"That's how we're finding it here."

Andrew Norman, Director, Valpy Street

In Liphook in Hampshire the Old Thorns Hotel has also seen a reduction in bookings - with the number of people due to attend Christmas parties down by between ten and fifteen percent.

Andrew Barnes, the hotel's Director of Sales said, "Over the next few weeks we've got two parties going on, on Friday and Saturday this week and then again the following week. Our last Christmas party is on Saturday 18th of December. 

"For most of our Christmas parties, we've seen a ten to fifteen percent reduction. From our perspective, that's potentially because they are either a no show on the night or people are ringing and saying they're a little bit nervous and would prefer to cancel their booking."

He added, "For the wider industry it's been extremely tough.

"We've been closed for a number of months earlier this year. We personally have had a very good summer, but coming into the winter months, it's a lot tougher.

"We've got other market sectors that aren't performing particularly well at the moment, so we are very reliant on Christmas parties to see us through.

Andrew Barnes, Old Thorns Hotel

"The reduction in people means we have less people staying in our rooms, and less people spending money in our bars.

"I think that's the same for the wider industry as well, whether it's restaurants, hotels, venues.

"Any reduction is obviously a reduction in income."