Alan Thomas, UK CEO at Simply Business on the start of the Women’s World Cup: “Whilst the prospect of a Women’s World Cup would ordinarily see UK pub and bar owners excited about a possible boost in trade, this year’s tournament is unlikely to help an industry in desperate need of support. Hosted in Australia and New Zealand, the time difference will mean that most of the games will be played outside of regular trading hours in the UK – either early in the morning or in the middle of the night – impacting the amount the UK hospitality sector will benefit from them.
“The boost afforded to the hospitality sector as a result of events like this cannot be understated. The 2022 Euros Women’s final alone saw a £40 million boost to the UK hospitality industry, according to insight from the Beer and Pub Association. Many independent hospitality firms have been hoping to capitalise on the growth of women’s football over the last year, but will struggle to do so for this tournament.
“Pubs continue to close at alarming rates – a staggering 1,800 since 2019 – and are currently at their lowest number on record. Many have been struggling to pass on rising costs to their customers and will therefore be feeling the squeeze, like other many UK small businesses.
“It is vital that more is done to support the long term prosperity of the UK hospitality industry, and many are looking to the government for this help. In the meantime, our publicans need all of our support more than ever – there’s never been a better time to get down to your local, whether there’s a match on or not.”
Contact: Seth Guy-Knapp sethguyknapp@welcometofrank.com
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