Scottish hotels to be supported by wedding sector fund

The Scottish government has launched a new fund to support the wedding industry and its venues during the current lockdown.

The £25m fund will assist the sector and its supply chain, with the support package launching on 28 January.

Through one-off grants, the fund will provide up to £25,000 for eligible businesses in the sector impacted by the pandemic, which includes wedding venues such as hotels.

Kate Forbes, the devolved government’s finance minister, said: “This £25m fund will ensure one-off grants of up to £25,000 reach eligible business as quickly as possible and there is no equivalent fund in other parts of the UK.

“The pandemic has had a severe impact on Scotland’s wedding sector, and we know that the current restrictions, while entirely necessary in our fight against Covid-19, continue to take their toll on the sector.”

She added: “I’d encourage all those who think they are eligible to find out more about applying – we want to help as many businesses survive this pandemic as we can.”

Caroline Inchyra, co-founder of the Scottish Wedding Industry Alliance, said: “On behalf of the Scottish wedding industry, we are delighted that the sector has secured £25m funding from the Scottish Government.

“We must thank the Scottish Government for recognising the wedding industry as a vital sector in the Scottish economy, and the enterprise agencies for working with us to ensure this fund has as much impact as possible.”