Hurray for Hospitality
This Saturday, 18th September, is National Hospitality Day 2021. UKHospitality (the leading hospitality trade association in the UK) is partnering with a taskforce of the industry’s main trade associations, professional bodies and charities to call on the nation to support this beleaguered sector by visiting their favourite bar, café, pub or restaurant on Saturday, 18th September.
The Day is intended as a celebration of the places we love to eat, drink, relax and socialise, which were so badly hit during lockdowns, yet have shown such resilience. It will also provide a much needed financial boost, as well as restoring consumer confidence, by showing how hospitality venues provide safe and secure environments.
Lockdown taught us just how much richer our lives are for having hospitality in them. Until last March, we took our favourite destinations for granted. Yet they are often at the heart of our communities and our lives: from first dates to wedding celebrations; and from baby showers to toasting the departed.
They are where the special moments that add so much to our quality of life take place. The morning chat with a friendly barista who helps you feel rooted in your local community and sets you up for the day. The drink after work with mates. The Sunday roast with family. Time out in a hectic schedule.
This Day also highlights the fact that for many hospitality venues their troubles are far from over. Many have refurbished their premises, faced staffing issues, and reinvented their business model to meet community needs. They still need the support of their customers.
So, go out to help out. This Day will help to create community engagement, footfall and revenue, helping rebuild local businesses. There is a give back in this for all of us as the hospitality industry plays an essential role in the fabric of our communities, as an employer, as a social hub, and as an income contributor to the local and national economy. Let’s eat and drink to that!
Image credit: The White Horse, Otterbourne by The Electric Eye