An independent report by Calum Muskett, a British Mountain Guide, has forecast a loss of earnings to members of the four associations of £58.8million from the 14th March to the 14th August 2020 due to COVID-19.
Calum surveyed members of the Mountain Training Association, Association of Mountaineering Instructors, British Association of International Mountain Leaders and British Association of Mountain Guides, asking questions about expected income in the 2020-2021 financial year and actual income in the 2018-2019 financial year.
His report concludes:
“Whilst employees and many sole traders will be eligible for Government grants, a large proportion of the membership will find that they do not qualify for any income support other than Universal Credit. The current crisis is likely to be the hardest financial hit to individuals working in the outdoor industry since the Second World War, surpassing that of the Foot and Mouth epidemic of 2001 and the global financial recession of 2007-8.”
