Restaurants and other suppliers, already grappling with post-pandemic difficulties, are now confronted with additional hurdles such as labor shortages and the rollback of VAT reductions. The difficulty of finding and retaining staff is a significant problem that is impacting operations.

Compliance with COVID measures and hygiene standards makes the provision of services and interaction with guests even more complex. The introduction of new legislation combined with bureaucratic hurdles poses major challenges for small businesses and business owners. In addition, the difficulties are compounded by the ambiguities surrounding new legislation, creating uncertainty and hindering compliance.

Global activity platforms are proving to be formidable competitors and pose major challenges for SMEs. With their vast resources and wide reach, these platforms exert a significant influence on consumer behaviour and preferences. By offering a wide range of services and experiences, often at competitive prices, they attract the attention and loyalty of customers and divert traffic away from local businesses. In addition, the extensive marketing budgets of global platforms enable them to flood the market with targeted advertising and sales promotions, further marginalising SMEs.