Edinburgh faces jobs crisis as festivals announce cancellations

Jobs in the wider tourism sector that rely on income from visitors to Edinburgh's festivals are now in jeopardy as Edinburgh International Festival, the Fringe, the Tattoo, and the book and art festivals decide jointly to cancel their events. Around 5,000 jobs in the city are thought to depend on the Festivals. Four or five times as many jobs are at risk in tourism and hospitality as in the arts and cultural sector itself. The festivals are worth over £300m to the local economy.