Business News Round Up (12/06/2020)
Tourism groups to share in £500k funding pot
Destination and sector groups across Scottish tourism impacted by the coronavirus pandemic are set to receive a share in a £500,000 support package offered by VisitScotland. A total of 81 membership organisations have been successful in applying for the Tourism Destination and Sector Support Fund, which was launched by the national tourism organisation last month. Those successful applicants represent in excess of 10,000 tourism businesses and have been awarded grants to support their survival and ensure they are able to continue working with VisitScotland in the weeks and months ahead.
The one-off fund was created in response to the devasting impact of the pandemic on Scottish tourism and was open to all destination and sector groups that have a membership base made up of entirely, or predominantly, tourism businesses. A total of 98 applications were received requesting a total of £1.6 million. The fund, which closed on 22 May, was originally set at £400,000 but was increased to £500,000 due to the volume of requests. Successful applicants could be awarded up to 50% of their membership income under threat due to coronavirus. Those who failed to meet the eligibility criteria received a letter explaining why and were signposted to other sources of funding and support.
https://scottishbusinessnews.net/2020/06/12/tourism-groups-to-share-in-500k-funding-pot/
Global cities pave the way for Manchester’s return to work
Greater Manchester is set to mirror actions taken by other cities across the world as they look to transform their roads, public footpaths and transport links in light of the coronavirus, according to Deloitte. This comes after Deloitte’s research, conducted in partnership with Google, found that workers in Greater Manchester are opting for other ways of commuting, with public transport usage down 62 per cent in favour of a 22 per cent rise in cycling across the region. Whilst these figures reveal changing attitudes towards travel, other figures show that many professionals are working from home entirely, with the number of people using workplaces down by 56 per cent since the UK entered lockdown.
One-Fifth of small businesses in Scotland have adopted new digital technologies during the coronavirus pandemic, according to research.
The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) surveyed 758 companies in Scotland between April 22 and 30 at the height of measures put in place to curb the outbreak. It found around one in seven (15%) firms had either started selling online for the first time or expanded their online offering during lockdown measures.
One in 20 (5%) said the pandemic had led to them introducing new services and 8% have introduced new products. Previous research found 53% of firms in Scotland have been forced to temporarily close since the outbreak began, compared to just over four in 10 (41%) across the UK. Andrew McRae, FSB’s Scotland policy chairman, said: “Half of Scotland’s smaller firms had to close during this crisis but among the remainder, we see an impressive level of innovation and drive.