CANCELLATIONS at hotels in Bournemouth this Christmas and New Year have prompted a leading organisation to lobby the government for support.

Bournemouth Coastal BID has sent a letter to local MPs urging them to provide more help for the hospitality sector.

Coastal BID chairman Paul Clarke, who is also a hotelier, says that the industry is seeing Christmas and New Year bookings being cancelled due to the new Covid measures.

The Prime Minister introduced the ‘Plan B’ rules following the spread of the Omicron variant.

And despite not being as restrictive as last year’s, the restrictions are already having 'a dramatic effect' on business.

The letter, which has been sent to Bournemouth MPs Conor Burns and Tobias Ellwood, says businesses need support in order to survive.

Paul Clarke said: “As soon as the new restrictions were announced people began cancelling bookings.

“This Christmas was earmarked by the sector as a time to try and raise enough money to sustain businesses through the tough winter months ahead.

“But that is now looking less likely because of all the cancellations. Businesses could close for good.

“Practical support is required in the form of full business rates relief, grants, rent protection and, in particular, extended VAT reductions.

“Hospitality is huge in our area and it brings in countless visitors who spend money across the conurbation.

“If hospitality businesses go under it will have a devastating knock-on effect on other sectors.

“We’re urging our MPs to take our message to the heart of government so the help that is required, is provided.”

Paul Kinvig from Bournemouth BID said: "I would fundamentally agree. I think whilst it's absolutely important that people follow government guidance it's also fundamentally important that people support local businesses and support the hospitality sector in a time where everybody is being challenged by this new variant.

"These sectors have really played their part in making it safe for people to go out where they can."

The founder of hospitality group The Wonky Table, Andy Lennox said: "I represent 1,000 hospitality businesses down here and ultimately, the industry is decimated in terms of bookings and we're now going into the dark water of January, February and March, where cash reserves from December keep businesses going until the spring and we pretty much don't have any of those reserves left.

"We do urge our MPs to start fighting for the sectors, for various different relief mechanisms and we are lobbying with UK Hospitality at a national level for further business support.

"Ultimately the problem we have is that at this moment in time the government have not imposed any restrictions on hospitality and thus in their mind they don't need to give any business support, they have said they will give support if restrictions are inposed but at the moment we are in a kind of quasi-lockdown restriction but without any support, so it's the worst place to be basically.

"Yet again we've been thrown under a bus through a complete lack of understanding and the hysterical media. Actually Boris Johnson and the government have never at one point said 'do not go to hospitality', its safe and well ventilated a lot of people have put social distancing back in place already so it is a safe environment to go to."