º£½ÇÊÓƵ

Hotels in Bristol are operating at around one-third of their potential occupancy rates as they re-open following the Covid-19 lockdown.

The Bristol Hoteliers Association (BHA), which represents 40 establishments, said it expected them all to have re-opened by the end of the first week of September.

But although hotels are reopening, the BHA believes the industry is "still in crisis”.

Raphael Herzog, chair of the BHA, said Government support schemes such as Eat Out To Help Out and a reduction in VAT to five per cent until the end of the year were "a massive benefit" but there were still "huge fears" within the industry over the future.

He said: "What happens when they end, or if we get a localised lock-down, as we have seen recently in other areas, like Leicester?

“The government support will need to be extended to negate huge potential job losses across the sector.

“While most hotels have re-opened, with the others opening soon, regrettably it has not been viable for some of them to do so with the same pre-Covid staffing levels.”

He added that restriction on gatherings to no more than 30 people had also “decimated” wedding and conference bookings, which he said provided a “vital” source of income to many hotels.