TOURISM and hospitality leaders have stepped up calls for Nicola Sturgeon to take urgent action to save jobs and help businesses reopen this summer, before it is “too late”.

In a letter to the First Minister, 75 business leaders from the Highlands said restaurants and hotels are rapidly reopening across Europe, while the silence in Scotland is “deafening”. 

They insisted the area is a “special case which requires urgent attention”, with 64 per cent of small businesses currently shut, compared to 41 per cent across the UK and 53% in Scotland

as a whole.

They welcomed a review of social distancing measures and the two-metres rule, and said businesses urgently need a clear timetable for reopening.

However, the business leaders welcomed ongoing discussion over a range of financial support packages, as well as efforts to explore the possibility of extending the October holidays in

a bid to boost domestic tourism in the autumn.

They said: “The difference between re-opening in July or September could likely be the determining factor in the survival of our industry, its suppliers and producers here.”

Tourism spend in the Highlands is worth more than £1 billion a year.

The letter was coordinated by David Whiteford, chairman of the North Highland Initiative, and Tanja Lister, from the Kylesku Hotel, Sutherland.

It is backed by some of the biggest names in tourism and hospitality across the North Highlands, North Coast 500, Argyll and Skye, representing more than 1,200 full-time equivalent seasonal and permanent jobs.

It reads: “It is clear that whilst our geographical location and situation is a positive factor in driving tourism demand, it presents a greater threat when faced with the fallout of this pandemic. 

“Our season is short and rapidly diminishing and, due to our location, we are unlikely to be able to benefit from any recovery until wider travel is permitted once again.”

The letter adds: “With almost all other European countries having now published clear timelines for the reopening of their hotels and restaurants, and with England expected to follow suit soon, our ongoing message that ‘Scotland is closed’ risks bookings for the summer being transferred elsewhere. 

“There would be little point in reopening our businesses over the summer if we have missed the boat.

“Equally, businesses will need time to plan.

“It will take time to ensure our venues are adapted to suit new regulations, equipment (much of it already in short supply) will need to be ordered, staffing levels will need to be reviewed and time for training factored in. 

“The more time we have to plan, the more we can ensure a readiness to reopen safely.”

The letter points to concerns over social distancing measures. 

It says: “We recognise that absolute priority must be given to ensuring

the safety of our teams, guests and communities. 

“However, we must also ensure the distancing measures we adopt are backed by scientific evidence and ongoing evaluation of progress made in other countries.”

The tourism leaders said they welcomed Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s announcement of a review into the 2m distance rule between individuals.

They added: “We are amongst a very small minority of countries across the EU using 2m, with most opting for either 1m or 1.5m. 

“Indeed, the WHO [World Health Organisation] itself recommends a minimum of only 1m.

“We need to be clear that this extra caution is warranted. 

“In the case of the Kylesku Hotel alone, adopting a 2m distance in between tables reduces our capacity by over 60%. 

“Equally, many restaurant kitchens operate with spacelimitations and it is clear the need for these enhanced measures will be a determining factor in whether many of our businesses will be able to reopen profitably.”

The business leaders also drew attention to the length of Scotland’s lockdown.

They wrote: “Given the fear being felt within our communities, protecting health is, of course, of great importance but given the huge stakes involved, we need to be sure we are evaluating these risks on an ongoing basis. 

“Our longer lockdown gives us a unique opportunity to evaluate the progress being made elsewhere and we must seize this opportunity for all it’s worth if we wish to avoid the collapse of our industry and increased job losses.”

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said it is in “regular discussion with stakeholders as we carefully consider how best to plan for the restart and long-term recovery of Scotland’s vitally important tourism and hospitality industries”.

She added: “We recognise how central they are to the Scottish economy, particularly in more rural areas such as the Highlands.

“We have put in place unprecedented financial support for businesses affected by Covid-19 and we continue to listen to feedback in assessing what more can be done.

“No one wants this to go on any longer than is needed to protect people from the spread of the virus, and the timeline for further changes to restrictions will be based on the best scientific evidence available.

“The plan developed by the Scottish Tourism Emergency Response Group on how to respond to the impact

of the virus on the sector will help inform how we move forward as

we slowly and carefully emerge from this crisis.

“We look forward to being able to welcome people back to enjoy Scotland’s world class hospitality and unrivalled scenery – but this can only be when it is safe to do so for visitors and local communities.”

Elsewhere, the Unite union strongly criticised the Scottish Government over a delay in releasing additional Covid-19 emergency funds to local authorities.

It insisted lives are being put at risk. 

The UK Government made £1.6 billion of funding available to councils in England on April 18, which amounted to an additional £155m for Scotland.

The Scottish Government said payment will be made to councils next month.