The forecast is for blue skies to come with Spring

Most experts seem to assume that Q1 will be a tough start to the year before, for those who survive through to April or May 2022, then a smoother recovery can be expected. This is natural as, of course, Spring will bring new confidence and if the economy can work its way through the next three months, then its confidence too will be stronger.

However, there are good signs too:

· Although there are major concerns in the economy, it is still expected to record solid growth through 2022 and 2023.

· There is growing confidence amongst investors that companies are beginning to adapt and innovate again; maybe for the first time in over a decade.

· There are signs that the UK could become a very attractive venue for investment and could become a global leader in tech development and in innovation. The UK has a long history of being a global leader in entrepreneurship and this is set to continue.

· The employee crisis is expected to ease or at least adapt by Spring 2022

· Unemployment and inflation, both major concerns at this moment, are expected to stabilise during 2022.

· The return to workplaces is expected to grow stronger and reach 65% by Spring.

· Expectations are that 2022 will see the start of the return of Business travel which will be a boost to the hospitality industry.

· Of course, any restrictions which may be seen between now and March will probably be eased by April.

· The economy has performed better than many feared and if confidence does continue to rebuild, then of course so will the economy be stronger.

· Business leaders have learnt much over the past two years, probably more than in the previous decade. This can only support a stronger recovery.

Of course, there are major threats to be faced. The new variant has placed a dark cloud over everyone. Confidence is still low and there has been a mismatch across many companies in taking time to adjust and learn from mistakes. Many talk of the fact that many have lost the skill to engage customers effectively. All this still needs to be faced but it will be. The industry has survived the crisis and it will come through.

There is a growing view that Q1’s difficulties may well force change and that 2022 will see the start of a new golden era which sees advancement in innovation, technology and hospitality services to a new level.

We can hope that this turns into a reality.