Coronavirus: Tourism Industry Update
The situation is developing quickly. Please follow the news reports and for latest advice regularly, and visit the Public Health Wales website and the Business Wales website
We know that this is an exceptionally difficult time for businesses and individuals in the sector, many of whom are colleagues, stakeholders and partners. In addition to our ongoing news bulletins (including newsletters and tweets) relating to the latest advice as regards situation changes and business support, we are also issuing a weekly round-up bulletin.
These bulletins will follow a structured format to make them as succinct and easy to access as possible and include links to important information as well as, where relevant, areas such as the latest results of business surveys and news on aspects such as the current marketing position.
Please look out for these; to confirm, we will also still be updating our social feeds and industry bulletins as news happens.
Bulletins issued to date can be found here and include:
- 25 March: Urgent Notice: COVID-19 – Guidance for Holiday Park owners and operators
- 24 March: Coronavirus Guidance on Further Businesses and Premises to Close
- 23 March: Tough new measures to slow the spread of coronavirus introduced today
- 19 March: Ministers announce new £1.4bn business support package
- 12 March: Coronavirus industry information
With tough new measures to slow the spread of coronavirus having been introduced, businesses are being offered a package of support by Welsh Government to assist during this exceptionally difficult time. These include -
- a package of support worth more than £1.4bn for small businesses to help them during the coronavirus outbreak.
- Retail, leisure and hospitality businesses with a rateable value of £51,000 or less will receive 100% business rates relief for the financial year 2020/21.
- For retail, leisure and hospitality businesses with a rateable value of between £12,001 and £51,000, a grant of £25,000 will be offered.
- A £10,000 grant to all businesses eligible for Small Business Rates Relief with a rateable value of £12,000 or less.
Businesses will start receiving emergency coronavirus grants by the middle of next week, Economy, Transport and North Wales Minister Ken Skates confirmed today. (Read more here).
The Welsh Government is developing a further package of support for the business community to help it deal with the impact of the outbreak. Further details will be available on Monday.
Business Wales is providing businesses with tailored support and advice about dealing with coronavirus, from financial and supply chain planning to advice on staffing issues.
We would advise Tourism businesses and stakeholders in Wales wanting specific guidance to visit the Business Wales website or call Business Wales helpline on 03000 6 03000, and to regularly visit the Public Health Wales website for up-to-date public health information for you, your staff and your visitors.
At this point, all Visit Wales campaign activity and press and media visits have been paused. We will be maintaining a much reduced presence on social media and concentrating on public health information and the simple message of “Visit Wales. Later”. The situation is reviewed daily and we will also be putting foundation work in place to ensure that we are in the best position possible to support the industry in the short and mid-term.
In order to provide impact data and to help support the industry through these challenging times we ran a telephone survey of tourism businesses in Wales in mid-March to find out how the industry was performing, and in particular learn how the Covid 19 virus was impacting on bookings and how businesses were preparing for the impact. The findings of which can be viewed here.
With the situation rapidly evolving since then, we will continue to run surveys to track the impacts of the virus. We will start a wave two telephone survey this week, extended to 400 companies, and there is an online version available - Please complete the survey here.
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