Bacta, the UK trade association for manufacturers and operators of seaside amusement arcades, has launched a nationwide campaign to highlight the plight of the British seaside arcade, which has been particularly hard-hit during lockdown.
Britain’s seaside amusement arcade businesses lost their Easter trading due to lockdown and reopened late in the summer season first in England and more recently in Wales. In Scotland, however, arcades are still waiting for a reopening date – meaning they wil have seen no meaningful income since September 2019 and the winter looks bleak.
“We are calling upon bacta members to write to their local MPs to highlight the situation and ask for some help to keep their businesses alive,” said John White, bacta CEO. “Many seaside communities rely upon our members’ businesses for local employment as well as to provide fun attractions for visitors. If they were to close, the result for the local economies would be devastating.”
Bacta has prepared a briefing document and has written to a number of coastal MPs who it has identified as ‘seaside champions’ and is asking for a number of concessions to help seaside arcades survive including:
· A reduction in Machine Games Duty (MGD) and VAT to 5%
· Ongoing rates relief beyond lockdown
· Increased funds for tourism support
“The seasides are an essential part of British culture and it is essential we highlight the plight of seaside towns of which amusement arcades are such an essential part,” concludes John White.