CGC Ebook 5.0

Hospitality

Sector Outlook Employing over two million people, the hospitality sector is the fifth largest industry in the UK and wor th £ 133 billion to the economy. It has been one of the hardest hit areas as restrictions and lockdowns have seen bars, pubs, restaurants, event caterers and hotels feel the brunt of the pandemic. Job losses have amassed to 650,000 , a reduction of 26% despite many staff being on furlough. The sector has seen revenues drop to below £100 billion in 20 2 0 . Around 6,000 licence premises closed in 2020, up 175% on the previous year. Brands such as Pizza Express , Wagamma and Pret have cut staff and locations and some such as Carluccio's, Ask Italian, Cafe Rouge have all gone into administration. T he forecast isn't much brighter as PWC consider that room occupancy for hotels will be around 50% for 2021. Those particular hit are city hotels and restuarants dependent on business and international travellers. Staycation opportunities seem to be the way forward as businesses compete for customers as lockdown restrictions ease in 202 1. With air travel not expected to return to pre-covid levels until 2023 the sector will continue to have to adapt and change to the lack of customers as well as get creative in delivering food to customers doors, offering discounts on room reservations and finding covid safe ways to open up rest aurants. The ability to offer a broader skillset to employers is becoming increasingly impor tant especially when you consider that competition for jobs in the hospitality industry is growing. More and more graduates, as well as other entrants, are setting their sights on the hospitality sector so employers naturally have more choice. Recent repor ts suggest that on average there are twenty-one applicants for every vacancy within the sector.Most vacancies can be found in London and the South East. However, this is offset by a greater degree of competition for jobs. East Anglia is notewor thy for having the lowest level of competition for hospitality posts. Turnover within the industry tends to be high, which is par tly due to the low wages on offer. A significant number of employers are experiencing problems in attracting skilled managers and chefs. Skilled chefs have been in par ticular shor t supply for a few years and there is a growing demand for those who can cook Asian cuisine. Growth areas to keep your eye on are budget accommodation chains and fast food outlets. Other companies building a reputation in the market include Cote Restaurant, Bill’s, Loungers . Travelodge, the biggest independent hotel chain in the UK, is expanding its operations with the opening of another six new Travelodge hotels. They have 206 positions to fill including hotel manager, receptionist, guest room cleaner and bar café roles as well as head office suppor t staff. By 2025 the company aims to have completed over 1,100 hotels. Growth concerns for the sector include labour shor tages due to Brexit, food inflation and managing new apps in the sector such as Deliveroo, Justeat and competition for accommodation from the likes of Airbnb. Jobs can be found on specific jobs sites such as caterer.com, company career pages or consider following a business on social media to get their latest news and job vacancies.