{"id":3669,"date":"2017-01-26T15:21:50","date_gmt":"2017-01-26T15:21:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dev.licensedandcateringnews.com\/?p=3669"},"modified":"2017-01-26T15:21:50","modified_gmt":"2017-01-26T15:21:50","slug":"varying-degrees-of-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lcnonline.co.uk\/varying-degrees-of-up\/","title":{"rendered":"Varying degrees of up…"},"content":{"rendered":"
A rising tide doesn\u2019t always lift all the ships and so it is with the hospitality trade. Colin Neill has been talking to Russell Campbell about the economy, the effects of Brexit and continued concerns over taxation and the widening skills gap.<\/em><\/p>\n The emergence of a two-speed licensed trade in Northern Ireland has been a concern at least since the middle of 2015, when LCN\u2019s own Pubs Perspective investigation unearthed evidence that while recovery was ongoing, it was far from complete \u2013 and far from uniform in its effect.<\/p>\n Since then, there has been plenty of anecdotal and statistical evidence to indicate that the while the trade in Belfast has been enjoying a welcome renaissance on the back of increased tourism and a weakened pound, operators outside Belfast and, to a lesser extent, Derry\/Londonderry, have seen their businesses continue to struggle, particularly in the slack Monday to Wednesday period.<\/p>\n A rising tide, it seems, doesn\u2019t lift all of the ships and when Hospitality Ulster chief, Colin Neill, spoke to LCN for his annual catch-up just before Christmas, he was able to confirm that \u201cthings are on the up, but it\u2019s varying degrees of up\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLook at Belfast city centre where the hotels are all running at capacity and all up on previous years,\u201d he added. \u201cThen drive 20 miles in any direction and you\u2019ll find people who aren\u2019t up at all.\u201d<\/p>\n Rising numbers of visitors to the province have helped sustain the trade in the capital while along the border, a weakened pound has helped counteract the adverse effects of the Republic\u2019s more attractive VAT rate. Border venues are competitive again and trade that might have gone south 10 months ago is now staying in the province.<\/p>\n \u201cObviously, the challenge now is to extend the growth enjoyed by hospitality businesses in the city centre and the border areas into other parts of Northern Ireland,\u201d added Colin. \u201cThere is a lot on offer. OK, it\u2019s not on the same scale as Belfast, but there are lots of tourists who want to travel and see other parts of Northern Ireland and the questions is, how can we make more money from that?\u201d<\/p>\n In terms of the other issues faced by the hospitality trade here, Colin flagged continued dissatisfaction with the existing small business rates relief scheme.<\/p>\n In conjunction with colleagues in the NI Independent Retail Trade Association (NIIRTA), Hospitality Ulster last year drew up proposals for radical reform of the system and in November, Finance Minister, Mairtin O Muilleoir unveiled proposals for a range of new measures based on the joint NIIRTA\/Hospitality Ulster paper.<\/p>\n The measures would include replacing the small business rates relief scheme with a \u00a322m fund for the small retail and hospitality sectors. There would also be a lifting of the \u00a3400,000 cap on domestic rates, an increase in rates for vacant business properties and a levy for charity shops.<\/p>\n \u201cThe existing small business rates relief scheme is no longer delivering and doing something else has been on the table for more than two years now,\u201d Colin told LCN. \u201cWe are now one of the biggest employers in Northern Ireland, taking more money from tourism than anyone else and there are big opportunities for growth.<\/p>\n \u201cThis scheme represents value for the taxpayer and it ensures that those businesses which need help most with their rates bill will receive it.\u201d<\/p>\n It is understood that the new scheme could be in place by April this year.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n