THE Macdonald Hotel chain has said its current situation is “unsustainable” during the coronavirus pandemic and wanted that up to 1800 jobs are at risk.
The chain employs around 2200 people throughout its 31 hotels UK-wide, 11 of which are situated in Scotland.
It comes after Scotland’s Tourism Secretary Fergus Ewing said on Wednesday that pubs, hotels and restaurants could start to re-open subject to social-distancing measures from July 15 should the rate of coronavirus infections continue to drop in Scotland.
READ MORE: Save our summer: Scottish tourism industry to re-open in July
Scottish Tourism Alliance chief executive Marc Crothall told the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme: "It's huge when you've got no revenue coming in, when you've got to survive and you have to take some tough decisions.
"But we're an industry that can bounce back quickly and these jobs hopefully will be ready and available for team members who may lose their jobs in the coming weeks."
Macdonald Hotels has placed many of its staff on furlough and expressed serious doubt about trade returning to normal in the near future.
The firm’s deputy chairman, Gordon Fraser, said: "We had really hoped to avoid this very unwelcome step, but with no realistic prospects of a return to anything like normal trading for the foreseeable future, we were simply left with no choice.
"Potentially, we are looking at around 1800 roles at risk, in all areas and at all levels of the business.
"The Government's furlough scheme has helped to a degree but our essential operating costs, insurance and some wages are still having to be paid, meaning our monthly cash outgoings are still running at £2 million while we are forced to remain closed."
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