Hospitality boosted April GDP, ONS reveals

The hospitality sector was the largest contributor to the increase in consumer-facing services in April 2023, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Output in consumer-facing services rose by 1% in April 2023, compared to a fall of 0.8% in March 2023.

This led to monthly real gross domestic product (GDP) growing by 0.2% in April 2023, after a fall of 0.3% recorded last month.

For the three months to April, the UK economy only grew by 0.1%.

Responding to the figures on Twitter, Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UKHospitality, said: “Not substantive but positive signs of growth and recovery - and dependent on discretionary spend - but clearly fragile confidence and vital action to tackle inflation uses the right levers and tackles the right causes - energy and labour.”

She added the results served “a reminder of the importance of hospitality in driving economic growth and why it matters whether the sector is resilient”.

It comes after the ONS revealed the UK economy unexpectedly grew by 0.1% in November 2022 as a result of people going to the pub to watch the FIFA World Cup.