‘Catering industry loses € 1 billion in turnover due to new lockdown’ | Financial

“Given the increasing number of infections, extra intervention was inevitable. But now again you are asking very big sacrifices from entrepreneurs and their people ”, says Jacco Vonhof, chairman of MKB-Nederland. His colleague at VNO-NCW, Ingrid Thijssen, adds: “The cabinet is now opting for major interventions for the next four weeks. We have to use every minute of this to ensure that there is perspective for the Dutch and entrepreneurs again. ”

But the measures are “a blow to sectors such as the travel industry, catering industry and event organizers”, says Hans Biesheuvel chairman of the ONL business association. He ‘understands the choice’ to intervene, but wants entrepreneurs to be able to make longer use of support measures and a clear perspective.

The motto ‘limit your contacts and stay at home’ will have a further impact on almost all industries, from retail to the event industry, ONL expects. According to its own words, the business club already receives many messages from SMEs whose buffer is running out or running out.

“Phasing out the current support measures is problematic,” says Biesheuvel. “More additional measures are needed. ONL wants to discuss this with the cabinet as soon as possible. ”

Horeca

The hospitality industry, which is not allowed to receive guests in the coming weeks, responds with ‘disbelief, frustration and sadness’. Trade association Koninklijke Horeca Nederland calls it “striking that the hospitality industry is always hit hardest, while the sector has tried to limit the number of infections with results.”

The new lockdown will result in a loss of € 1 billion in turnover, KHN has calculated. “The hospitality industry is being hit hard and I am very concerned about the future hospitality landscape; this closure is really the final blow for many catering entrepreneurs, ”says foreman Robèr Willemsen. He also argues that the support measures should not be phased out, as intended, but continued in full.

‘Outdated’

CNV also argues the same. According to the trade union, the support package (NOW 3.0) for entrepreneurs concluded in September is now obsolete. “Tens of thousands more people are at risk of losing their jobs. The situation is hopeless and poignant for an increasing number of Dutch people, ”said CNV chairman Piet Fortuin.

“Our aim is for the cabinet to quickly release extra money to be able to continue paying the salaries of catering and event employees for longer.”

FNV chairman Han Busker also calls it “of great importance to get the virus under control”. The trade unionist wants to prevent employees, of supermarkets for example, from becoming responsible themselves for enforcing the new measures.

In the hospitality industry, FNV fears new blows. “The measures are yet another blow to the sector,” says FNV Horeca director Edwin Vlek. “The chance that companies will not survive is increasing, as a result of which employees will become unemployed or are forced to work in another sector.”

Eurovision Song Contest

In the event sector, the next four weeks are already being looked at: with fear and trembling, that sector is heading towards 2021: can major events be organized, such as the Eurovision Song Contest? The Alliance of Event Builders, which also includes Ahoy, wants to know this in the short term.

“We saw this coming and understand that this year is lost for us,” said spokesman Jolanda Jansen. “But this is absolutely disappointing. We worked very hard for months to get all events corona proof. And you notice that everyone in the Netherlands desperately needs distraction and entertainment. ”

With these new restrictions, this year can be considered lost to the industry. “We want to make plans for the longer term now,” says Jansen. “We now want to hear from the government whether the pilots with rapid tests can be a solution next year. We need to know where we stand in January; a year like this, in which we have to take blow after blow after blow, the sector will not survive. Without a perspective or plan, the end is practice for the entire event industry. ”

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