The UK hotels and leisure sector has become the third-largest lending marketplace for NatWest and RBS under the Funding for Lending Scheme, with the bank offering cost-effective FLS loans of over £200m to the world to this point.
NatWest and RBS is forecasting continued, strong demand for lending from this key client base in 2013 because the sector invests for growth.
NatWest and RBS’s commercial banking division, which caters for business with an annual turnover of under £25m, launched FLS facilities in August 2012 and, as at the beginning of 2013, had allocated over £2.26bn across 15,000 SMEs through the UK.
On a sector-by-sector basis, hotels and leisure is now the third biggest recipient of FLS loans, finishing behind healthcare and agriculture.
Andrew Taylor, head of leisure for commercial banking at NatWest and RBS, said: “I’m delighted at how successful we have now been in helping clients inside the hotels and leisure sector access cost-effective funds – we’re committed to working with businesses of all sizes.
“Under the FLS, we believe we’ve made a true difference to this business base, making a collection of bespoke finance packages for a lot of firms during the UK.
The specialist Hotels and Leisure Team incorporates people inside the bank’s vast network with coverage around the UK, meaning we will draw on a broad range of expertise including the economic and business banking teams.”
NatWest and RBS formed its dedicated Hotels and Leisure Team in September 2011 and regards the hotels, restaurants, pubs and leisure sectors as one of the vital key lending targets across commercial banking.
The team includes greater than 80 managers and directors around the RBS network. The bank operates across all aspects of the leisure market, splitting the arena into seven sub-sectors – with hotels receiving the best percentage of fund allocation.
In 2012, total lending from the Leisure Team was up eight per cent against 2011, and is predicted to extend again for the year ahead.
Andrew Taylor, head of leisure for NatWest and RBS, concluded: “We take lots of pride in both sector expertise, in addition to our ability to hear each business to realize an in depth understanding in their specific needs. The united kingdom has fantastic businesses operating within the leisure sector.
The diversity of our skill set is something that we believe stands us with the exception of the contest.
“Our team commits to at the least two full days a year devoted to all the businesses on our books, and we maintain a powerful want to understand and appreciate every client on both an intensive business, and private level. We realise, however, that the work is much from over, and we shall remain committed to helping hotels, restaurants and the numerous other businesses operating within the sector to fulfil their aspirations and ambitions.”
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