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NTIA launches campaign to save on-trade
The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) has partnered with the Institute of Hospitality (IOH) to launch the #LeaveNoOneBehind campaign.
The campaign aims to advocate for the survival and recovery of their collective membership of more than 20,000 UK businesses ahead of the spring budget, which will be announced on 6 March.
The name of the campaign refers to the government’s previous exclusion of wet-led businesses in policies to support the hospitality sector, such as the temporary reduction of VAT during the pandemic.
The NTIA stated the nighttime economy and wider hospitality sector have lost more than 23,000 businesses since 2020, with more than 6,000 closing in the past year.
Earlier this month, the group revealed 396 UK nightclubs closed between March 2020 and December 2023.
The organisation also said that a recent survey of its members revealed seven in 10 businesses were either barely breaking even or operating at a loss, with nearly half expressing doubts about their survival in the next 12 months.
Institute of Hospitality CEO Robert Richardson said: “It is an incredibly tough economic climate, and our members and the wider hospitality industry are continually updating us that they need additional support to help them continue – without which many fear they will have to close their doors.
“The institute’s role is to help support our members to prosper through investing in their people’s professional development and encouraging new talent into the industry – an industry we are incredibly passionate about.
“This campaign and the work of the NTIA will help protect the future of our members and every community across the UK.”
The campaign is also backed by Sacha Lord, the nighttime economy adviser for Greater Manchester.
The NTIA is calling on the government to support on-trade businesses in the upcoming budget by implementing a reduced VAT rate of 12.5% for all hospitality businesses and freezing alcohol duty.
Raissa de Haas, co-founder of mixer brand Double Dutch, also called for a reduction of VAT earlier this month.