Coronavirus: Tourism Industry Update

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11 June 2020


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Coronavirus: Tourism Industry Update

The situation is developing quickly. Please follow the news reports and for latest advice regularly visit the Public Health Wales website and the Business Wales website


Visitor Economy Best Practice Guidance on working safely

We would like to thank everyone who has taken part and given feedback, through the Regional Tourism Fora, to inform the draft Guidance on working safely being prepared for the Visitor Economy. Many conversations and emails have supplemented the three core online engagement sessions which incorporated over 100 individuals/organisations taking part to give their thoughts on the initial drafts.

It has ensured that the Visitor Economy Guidance for Wales will have been shaped by feedback from across the sector. It’s now being finalised and, alongside advice on communications, will soon be ready to use to help the sector prepare for a safe return to operations. We appreciate the time and consideration that people have taken to help us with this work.

A wide range of guidance has now been produced to help Keep Wales Safe as we gradually unlock our society and economy. The Guidance is available on Welsh Government website, with key information for Businesses also available at businesswales.gov.wales.

Guidance for public transport operators and users has already been published; as well as General Guidance for Employers and Employees and the Manufacturing Sector. A range of other Guidance of relevance is also in production including Guidance for Working in Offices and Contact Sectors; Retail and Working in and from Vehicles.  


Economic Resilience Fund – online eligibility checker reopened for support from the next phase

Businesses can now find out if they are eligible to apply for financial support from the next phase of the Welsh Government’s Economic Resilience Fund (ERF).

The online eligibility checker has reopened this week and businesses will be able to make applications for support from this phase of the fund by the end of the month.

The ERF is designed to support businesses, social enterprises and charities, which are not eligible for other Welsh Government and UK Government support schemes.

The next phase of the fund will enable businesses to access a further £100m of financial support. It is being targeted at microbusinesses, SMEs and large businesses of critical economic importance, which have yet to receive financial assistance from the ERF.


More than £680m reaches businesses in COVID-19 support

Business support grants worth more than £680 million have reached businesses across Wales to help them respond to the financial challenges of coronavirus (COVID-19) Ministers have announced.

The latest figures out today show that more than 56,000 grants have been paid to companies across the retail, leisure and hospitality sector whose property has a rateable value of £51,000 or less. These businesses are also benefitting from rates relief through the £1.4 billion package announced in March. Read more in the Welsh Government announcement.

New applications to the COVID-19 non-domestic rates (NDR) grant scheme scheme will close 5pm on 30 June 2020 and Ministers are urging any businesses that have not already done so, to contact their local authority about this support. Further details are available on the Business Wales website.


COVID-19 Consumer Sentiment Tracker

The second week of data of the Consumer survey, conducted in collaboration with Visit Scotland and Visit England, has been published. A handy scorecard outlining the key results and trends from each week's fieldwork is available to download: consumer behaviour tracker


Wales Tourism Performance 2019

The Wales Tourism Performance 2019 Report has been published; a comprehensive report that includes 2019 data from the main tourism surveys. The analysis in this report relates to January to December 2019 so pre-dates the current COVID-19 situation apart from the Tourism Barometer Survey.


New travel regulations

New rules now apply to travellers to the UK from 8 June 2020. Guidance is available for people travelling to Wales from outside of the UK - for those arriving directly in Wales and for those arriving at a port elsewhere in the UK and then travelling on to Wales. Find out what you must do to keep Wales safe from coronavirus when arriving from abroad.

Guidance is also available to explain who will be exempt from new Welsh border rules introduced due to coronavirus.


UKinbound temporary free membership and webinars

UKinbound is the only trade association that represents the interests of the UK’s inbound tourism sector and they ensure it is recognised as a leading economic and employment driver in the UK. 

UKinbound has launched a new, free of charge, temporary membership option due to COVID-19.  They wish to provide support to the wider inbound tourism industry who can benefit from some of membership services usually reserved for full UKinbound members.  Some of the benefits include access to their webinars, their daily COVID-19 and other regular industry updates, and ability to take part in their lobbying activities.

This temporary Associate membership option will be time-limited to the end of their current membership year; 30 September 2020. Apply on the UKinbound website.

Please note that as all webinars are pre-recorded you are unable to ask questions.


Stay up to date with tourism industry news

We are committed to providing the support and assurance the business community needs during these unprecedented difficult times and have issued several Coronavirus (COVID-19) related bulletins which can be found on the Tourism Industry Coronavirus (COVID-19) Bulletins page. The most recent bulletins are below:

  • 09 June: Economic Resilience Fund; First Minister statement on tourism
  • 05 June: Coronavirus (COVID-19): Tourism Industry Update
  • 03 June: Bulletin - Self-Employment Support Scheme and furlough next steps; Economic Resilience Fund; COVID-19 Consumer Sentiment Tracker; Business Interruption Insurance; Test, Trace, Protect: employer guidance; Best Practice Guidance on working safely
  • 29 May: Stay local to keep Wales safe: changes to the lockdown announced
  • 28 May: Coronavirus: Tourism Industry Update

Make sure you stay up to date with tourism industry news by following us on Twitter @VisitWalesBiz and also encourage others who may benefit, to stay up to date by subscribing to our newsletter.


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.


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