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‘The North West will always be overlooked as a region’: Manchester faces dire future as a result of Tier 3

Manchester, Andy Burnham mayor
Manchester, Andy Burnham mayor

On Friday, October 23, Greater Manchester will move under the strictest “very high” coronavirus restrictions, meaning that bars and pubs in the area must close unless they are offering substantial meals, and people should avoid travelling out of the area if they live there or entering the area if they don’t.

This is a huge blow for Manchester’s tourism and hospitality businesses, who have already been feeling the strain of being under Tier 2-style restrictions since the end of July when it was announced that people in Greater Manchester would not be allowed to mix with other households indoors, plus the 10pm curfew from late September.

According to forecasts by Marketing Manchester, Greater Manchester’s promotional agency and tourism board, 61 per cent of Greater Manchester’s £9 billion visitor economy value is estimated to have been lost this year alone, with dire consequences anticipated for businesses and the 100,000 people employed in the sector across the city region.

Talking about impact of the curfew on businesses in the city, Martin Greenhow, managing director of MOJO, a city centre bar, said:

“The curfew has caused an 80 per cent plus reduction in our turnover and I know it has had a very similar impact on many of our hospitality colleagues. Moving us between tiers is purely an exercise of speeding up the execution of hospitality.”

Cow Hollow
Cow Hollow

It isn’t just bars in Manchester that have been impacted, either. As a result of the new restrictions being announced, the Northern Quarter boutique hotel, The Cow Hollow Hotel, has taken the tough decision to temporarily close. Managing Director, Muj Rana, told Telegraph Travel that the hotel was averaging around a 75 per cent occupancy prior to the 10pm curfew but this dropped when it was put in place, and that further restrictions will cause this to drop significantly further:

“Hospitality is an acutely linked sector. The 10pm curfew on F&B reduced bookings to our hotel – and undoubtedly others in the city – by 50 per cent itself. The lack of events and business traffic, and a complete closure of our hotel bar, alongside the standalone leisure venues in Manchester, renders the business largely inoperable whilst we remain in Tier 3.”

There is also frustration that, after more than a week of talks between the government and leaders from Greater Manchester, an agreement wasn’t made over a package to support businesses and employees and, so far, only a £22 million funding package has been offered “to protect public health and local economies, including compliance, enforcement and contact tracing activity across Greater Manchester”.

While Ancoats restaurant, Elnecot can remain open under new restrictions, owners, Wesley Downham and Michael Clay, told Telegraph Travel that bookings were currently more than 50 per cent down compared to the previous month and, at the moment, “it is just a question of seeing if we can keep our heads above water.” They are disappointed with the level of support being offered to Greater Manchester saying:

“We have worked hard for four years to establish a business which, through no fault of our own, is being slowly picked apart. We have a Government who promised (over and over and over again) that they would do ‘WHATEVER IT TAKES’. They have shown that they aren’t even prepared to offer the bare minimum.”

Elnecot
Elnecot

This feeling is echoed by Dean Mac, founder of live music venue One Eight Six, who told Telegraph Travel:

“The decision to move us into Tier 3 is just gut-wrenching, so many venues will not survive this final blow and our city and the hospitality industry is essentially being hung out to dry. We are so grateful to have had Andy Burnham fighting our corner, however when it comes down to it, the North West will always be overlooked as a region and this has been highlighted even more with this decision and lack of support from Westminster."

But, despite the news, many of Manchester’s hospitality and tourism businesses are trying to stay as positive as possible. Dan Morris, managing director of new outdoor street food venue, Escape to Freight Island told Telegraph Travel that although: “We feel let down by the Government and we feel devastated for those who, despite the incredible efforts made, will be forced to close… All of our traders will remain open and our staff will keep smiling (behind masks).”

Three-tier Covid lockdown map
Three-tier Covid lockdown map

Similarly, Jacqui Griffiths, general manager at Ducie Street Warehouse, which incorporates a restaurant, co-working space, bar, gym and aparthotel Native Manchester, told Telegraph Travel:

“Despite Tier 3 coming in on Friday, for us it is still very much business as usual. We have a substantial food offering, with Higher Ground’s takeover in the restaurant and our menus in the Lounge, and due to the sheer size of our ground floor, there is still plenty of space for people to come and work, eat and drink in a socially-distanced, safe environment.

“The real impact will be on the travel restrictions preventing people from staying in Manchester. We had started to see a real rise in bookings in recent months, as people were tentatively making plans and the latest guidelines will inevitably impact on bookings once again.”

This positivity is echoed by Alexa Cherry, Director of Sales at city centre hotel, Dakota Manchester. She said:

“We have to think in a way which flips the announcement on its head and is not about what you can’t do, but what you can do. We can still welcome guests from Greater Manchester to enjoy the ultimate night in, Dakota style… Most of all we can and will continue to keep the hotel open for guests to have a break from reality and enjoy some luxury”