The CEO of the newly-named NatWest Group has predicted a "resurgence" of the North West's tourism and hospitality sector following the damage caused by Covid - because more holidaymakers will choose staycations ahead of overseas destinations
Speaking on the day RBS officially changed its name, Alison Rose was asked whether she was optimistic that the sector in cities such as Liverpool and Manchester could recover from the pandemic.
Delivering a message of positivity for businesses in the two cities, which are reliant upon hospitality for jobs and the visitor economy, she said they would likely benefit from people not wanting to travel abroad this year.
She said: "The pandemic has been devastating for a number of sectors.
"The hard stop that we put the economy into and restricted movement means tourism, leisure, hotels and retail have really been at the forefront of sectors taking a lot of the pain.
"A lot of support has gone into government schemes and lending to help bridge through this period.
"The critical point is that as we open up the economy and get things moving again, giving people the confidence that they can move around and reopening those sectors in a safe way, that will absolutely bring things back.
"I do think with the tourism industry, it will be much more of a trend to do a staycation this summer.
Most Read
"People are not travelling overseas as much. I think you will see a resurgence of the local economy, local tourism, national tourism, and clearly it's a critical park of the 海角视频 economy."
How NatWest is supporting BusinessLive
NatWest is the national partner of BusinessLive.
The banking group is teaming up with BusinessLive on a series of events throughout the year aimed at entrepreneurs and business leaders.
Alongside a wide range of banking services, NatWest offers businesses specialist sector knowledge in areas such as manufacturing and technology, as well as access to specialist entrepreneurial support.
Ms Rose was also asked about the health of its North West NatWest branches, which are located in various towns and cities across the region.
She said that during the lockdown, the firm had kept 90% of its branches open.
But with the rise of digital banking, the NatWest Group is "looking at the trends of [its] customers", with the situation under review.
She said: "Our colleagues in our branches have done an incredible job to continue to support customers.
"As the economy gets moving again and with the increased use of digital, we will continue to make sure that we are providing the right service and support, and keep that under review.
"But I think our branches are about right as we emerge from the pandemic, and we will continue to review that to make sure we are providing the right service that is vital to the community. We are very sensitive to that."