Business for UK arcade owners is perhaps "not as catastrophic as first thought," said trade association CEO John White, in a report to members.
The association, BACTA, had surveyed its members on the restart of operations in what he described as "as disastrous year." But White said that it was not perhaps going to be quite as bad as it was at first thought.
“Operators are generally positive considering the year we have had and how we expected customers to behave once reopened.” He said that despite that, the industry would still need support through the winter months, particularly for those arcades operating on a seasonal basis.
The association had started a Save our Seaside (SOS) campaign with many members writing to their Members of Parliament. “We are getting positive responses and support.” The association was seeking lower rates of taxes and an extension of business rates relief into 2022.
White felt that the industry had a strong case for VAT relief, considering that other parts of the tourist industry were benefitting. A number of sympathetic MPs had tabled questions in the House of Commons relating to the industry’s circumstances.
BACTA reported that in pubs around 85 per cent of AWPs and other machines are now switched on and incomes were reported to be steadily rising towards pre-pandemic levels but were still some way from reaching them.
