Businesses are facing a 'nightmare' as people cancel their Christmas parties over fears around the Omicron variant.

Since the announcement of new restrictions by the Prime Minister to help tackle the spread, the hospitality industry has faced a wave of cancellations.

Boris Johnson has made masks compulsory in most indoor public venues, asked people to work from home if they can and from tomorrow most people will need to show vaccine passes to enter specific venues, or proof of a negative Covid test.

And while there are no specific rules banning gatherings, many people have taken steps to avoid catching the Omicron variant before Christmas.

Assistant manager Arek at The Clarendon Royal Hotel in Royal Pier Road, Gravesend, said: "We had a lot of cancellations of Christmas parties as they are scared.

"The day of the announcement was the most as we lost an 80 covers booking. We have also had a party of 100 cancel since.

"We are definitely feeling the impact.

"Everybody was expecting it and we are just expecting them to say we are going to have another lockdown."

Sarah Simmonds manager of the Crescent Turner boutique hotel in Whitstable says the business has suffered almost 130 cancellations following Government announcements about the Omicron virus variety and new restrictions.

She said: "It's been devastating, the phone hasn't stopped ringing and emails pouring in from firms and families cancelling bookings over the next 10 days. It's costing us tens of thousands.

"For example, over New Year, our rooms are currently only 15% booked.

"They include families who are now not travelling or a group with an elderly grandma, all the way through to larger healthcare and company parties with 50 plus.

"Just today, I've had more than 30 cancellations and it's very depressing. We'd already ordered stock and food in and done staff rotas, but I just can't just start cutting staff hours, because it would mess them up for Christmas.

"As a business we do understand the need to stay safe, and going into Christmas we haven't been taking deposits because if someone had Covid and had to cancel, they'd be resentful if we kept it and think twice about coming back next year.

"Sadly, I think there's been a lack of guidance. We are all protected, but go to a supermarket or the shops and people are out in their droves. What makes us so dangerous?"

Ciaran O'Quigley, owner of The Mu Mu Experience in Maidstone, said that since Boris Johnson announced Plan B restrictions, they have seen office Christmas parties cancelled, totalling about 800 customers all together.

The venue comprises several different ventures covering two buildings, 108 and 110 Week Street, including restaurant's Fifi's Brasserie, an Irish pub, a cocktail bar and lounge.

In July, the business suffered a severe set back when a fire tore through 110 Week Street, but Mr O'Quigley and his team worked tirelessly to reopen The Mu Mu Experience as soon as possible.

Mr O'Quigley said: "We have had cancellations of office parties, a group of NHS nurses who are now administering jabs, bank managers, loads of different companies.

"When the announcement was made we had people cancelling on the evening. We haven't done any financial penalties for cancelling, we are asking them to carry on the booking for January, February, March.

"It isn't helpful it's the best weekend of the year, just before Christmas."

"We are very lucky, we do thousands of people at Christmas, we are very popular. So in the scale of things it's not a great number."

He added that despite the cancellations, the venue is still doing well, saying: "When you have had a year and a half of lockdowns and a major fire, just bring it on."

At Madison's in Maidstone, operations manager Ade Rowswell says they have also seen a "handful" of office parties cancel.

The Gabriel's Hill business is comprised of a restaurant, a rooftop bar and Palms Boutique Nightclub.

Apart from the small number of cancellations, the business hasn't been too badly impacted, Mr Rowswell said, adding: "We have been extremely busy, this Christmas has been exceptional. We have had some people having to cancel due to some members having to self isolate or work parties, but it's just the odd few."

In Ramsgate, the Ozric Tentacles, billed as psychedelic staples at festivals such as Glastonbury, were due to play to a sell-out crowd on Saturday.

But bosses at the Ramsgate Music Hall tweeted their disappointment when half the audience failed to show up.

"50% no shows tonight," they said. "This is not sustainable."

They later clarified that they understood why people were worried so close to Christmas.

They added: "No ill-will there whatsoever. It's just a nightmare for business, particularly with a dry January coming up too."

MPs are due to vote on the 'Plan B' measures later today.

Earlier this month, pub bosses said their venues were "the safest place to go out and socialise" and warned of the problems the industry would face.

Phil Thorley, operations director of Thorley Taverns, which runs 19 venues across Thanet, said: "Any loss of trade over Christmas could prove catastrophic for some outlets in the county.

He added: "Financially, we can ill afford another lockdown period during what is a good trading period for us."

Some have decided to just defer their bookings until things calm down.

Owner of The Three Daws in Town Pier, Gravesend Lester Banks, said: "It has affected people that have already booked. They are defering their bookings as they are concerned over the new variant. Sometimes it has been their companies saying they cannot have a party.

"We have had three or four defer their bookings.

"Not really a lot has changed. We are not affected by the new restrictions."

He added that people are not cancelling outright which is good news but are just waiting until a better time.

It's not just hospitality that's been affected.

Stacey Smith, owner of Woodlands, Hair, Beauty and Holistic Therapies Limited in Bridge, Canterbury, says many customers have been pushing salon appointments back until after Christmas.

"We have been lucky to have not brought Covid into our salon and we keep a safe and clean environment..."

She said: "With cases rising people are being more cautious with the run up to Christmas they do not want to jeopardise seeing their families.

"Where we are a close contact business as a hair and beauty salon, we have seen a rise in clients rescheduling their Christmas appointments to January because they just do not want to take that chance.

"We have been lucky to have not brought Covid into our salon and we keep a safe and clean environment.

"It really is having an impact on local businesses and we need all the support we can at this time."

In Rochester, there was a similar picture.

Beni Jorshari, manager of The Quills restaurant, came into work on Monday to be confronted with several cancellations after Boris' announcement the evening before.

He said: "It's unheard of to get cancellations on a Sunday.

"I've just done refunds for £945 for 23 people and £100 for 10 people.

"It's a bit of a kick in the teeth after last Christmas."

Mr Jorshari, who runs the High Street eatery, added there had been a steady string of customers pulling out since news of the Omricon variant broke at the end of last month.

He said: "We have had company bosses cancelling because of the consequences of their staff getting covid.

"A lot of the time, it's to cover their own backs."

A manager at the Ship and Trades pub and hotel, in Chatham Maritime said they had received a few drop outs, but "not loads".

"I think people just want to get on with Christmas," he said.

A spokesman for the Kings Arms pub in Strand Street, Sandwich, said: "We have had number of cancelled bookings for the Christmas period or people have changed them to lower the numbers attending, say 30 to 20.

"We have a lot of older people as customers and they are worried.

"At the moment this has put a small dent in our business and we'll just have to see what happens in the New Year."

A spokesperson for the Oyster Bed in Whitstable confirmed the pub continues to run as usual, but meals reservations on Christmas Day have been impacted.

"Like many hospitality businesses, the current situation is causing us staffing challenges," they said.

"Reluctantly we have to manage our Christmas Day bookings at the Oyster Bed accordingly, which means sadly we have to cancel some of our reservations to ensure we are able to meet our guest expectations."

But the Rico Sabor restaurant, in the St James' Retail and Leisure Park in Dover, said business has continued as normal.

A spokesman said: "We had 52 people booked midweek, on a Tuesday night, and we have had no cancellations for Christmas so far. We did have a couple of people who inevitably had to cancel because they had caught coronavirus."