Coronavirus: Tourism Industry Update
Please follow the news reports and for latest advice regularly visit the Public Health Wales website and the Business Wales website
BULLETIN CONTENTS - Economic Resilience Fund - Find out if your business is eligible for support from the third phase; Job Support Scheme; Covid-19 Business Support Finder; New campaign will support people to seek new opportunities; 15-Minute Heritage Grants; Mid Wales and South West Wales Economic Frameworks; VisitBritain UK Travel Trade webinars: latest trends and insights; Regional Leaning and Skills Partnership survey; Self Assessment customers to benefit from enhanced payment plans; Useful COVID-19 Guidance links, downloadable assets and toolkits for your business.
Economic Resilience Fund - Find out if your business is eligible for support from the third phase
Businesses across Wales can now find out if they can apply for funding from the third phase of the Economic Resilience Fund (ERF) by visiting the online Eligibility Checker.
Economy Minister Ken Skates announced the new phase of the fund last week which will see an additional £140m being made available to businesses. The eligibility checker will enable businesses to see if they can access the £80m tranche of the fund which will support firms with projects that can help the transition to the economy of tomorrow and will be open to micro businesses, SMEs and large businesses. Of this, £20m will be ring fenced to support tourism and hospitality businesses who are facing particular challenges as we enter the winter months. Read more in our bulletin.
Job Support Scheme
The new Job Support Scheme will be introduced from 1 November 2020 to protect jobs where businesses are facing lower demand over the winter months due to coronavirus (COVID-19).
Under the scheme, which will run for six months, the UK Government will contribute towards the wages of employees who are working fewer than normal hours due to decreased demand. Find out more on the Business Wales website.
In addition, the UK Chancellor has today announced further details on how the Job Support Scheme will be expanded to protect jobs and support businesses required to close due to COVID restrictions. Read the details on Gov.UK.
COVID-19 Business Support Finder
To help businesses locate the varied range of support available to get through this difficult period take a look at the COVID-19 Business Support Finder pages available on the Business Wales website.
New campaign will support people to seek new opportunities
As part of its response to coronavirus (COVID-19), Welsh Government is ramping up its support for people affected by redundancy. A new campaign, launched through Working Wales, will promote the tailored support available to people who have lost their job or are at risk of doing so, and will help them seek new opportunities. Find out more on Gov.Wales.
15-Minute Heritage Grants
The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Cadw have teamed up to launch their 15-Minute Heritage Grants, for projects which support a variety of activities that deepen people’s engagement with heritage within fifteen minutes or so from their homes.
Grants of between £3,000 and £10,000 are available to local authorities, third sector organisations, and voluntary and community groups for small-scale projects which help to connect communities in Wales with their local heritage. Visit the Business Wales website for more details.
Mid Wales and South West Wales Economic Frameworks
Working together, Welsh Government and regional partners are inviting people to join them in establishing a shared vision for the distinct economies of Mid Wales and South West Wales.
Working together, we can overcome challenges and take opportunities to the benefit of all in the region. Over the coming months, there will be a number of ways in which tourism businesses can get involved. Find out how to get involved in a shared vision for the economy.
VisitBritain is hosting a series of free webinars for the UK Travel Trade focusing on India, China and Southern Europe. This is the second series of webinars that will give you an invaluable opportunity to hear all about the latest research data and insights from their market experts to help your business prepare for recovery within these markets. There will also be a Q&A session to help answer your questions.
- India - 13 October – 10.00 am to 11.00 am
- China - 20 October - 10.00 am to 11.00 am
- Southern Europe - 22 October - 10.30 am to 11.30 am
More details, including how to register, can be found on the VisitBritain website.
Regional Leaning and Skills Partnership survey
The Regional Learning and Skills Partnership is currently working with businesses across south west and mid Wales to understand how the pandemic has affected them and is gathering intelligence to help inform Welsh Government of the recovery support needed by businesses.
Please assist by completing their short COVID-19 Impact survey by 16 October.
Self Assessment customers to benefit from enhanced payment plans
From 1 October 2020 HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has increased the threshold for paying tax liabilities to £30,000 for Self Assessment customers to help ease any potential financial burden they may be experiencing due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
For further information please visit the Business Wales website.
We realise that it’s sometimes hard to keep up with what is available – the links below will help you find what practical resources and toolkits are there to help you.
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.
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.
|
