The Northern Ireland Executive has been urged to bring forward a dedicated strategy to support the recovery of the hospitality industry following the coronavirus pandemic.

The call from Hospitality Ulster comes as the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy in London publishes its Hospitality Strategy.

The new plan includes 22 commitments including the establishment of a Hospitality Sector Council comprising of business, sector representatives and industry leaders to oversee an action plan to deliver against commitments.

Hospitality Ulster has said that the hospitality industry in Northern Ireland is being neglected at a critical moment as others seize the opportunity in anticipation of the post pandemic trading environment.

Chief Executive Colin Neill said hospitality businesses have not been able to return to normal trading due to ongoing coronavirus regulations.

“The slow progress in the lifting of restrictions have created a situation that allows the majority of the sector to be open, or given the choice to open, but does not allow for normal trading and therefore damaging the long term sustainability of many businesses who are struggling to break even,” he said.

“Whilst our counterparts in GB are thinking about the overall transition from recovery to resilience, we here are left looking to our devolved government for direction and support.

“Some months ago Hospitality Ulster brought forward a considered recovery plan, developed alongside hospitality industry leaders which detailed a range of key immediate and longer term interventions required by the Northern Ireland Executive and the Westminster Government in anticipation of emerging from the worst moments of the pandemic.

“The work has all been done, we mapped out the policy priorities and the economic levers that need to be pulled.

“We call on the Government to incorporate our plan into a much needed Executive backed future hospitality strategy for Northern Ireland.

“We need a proper, dedicated, government strategy for Northern Ireland, otherwise we will continue with a piecemeal approach.”