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 - Guidance about the coronavirus rules that will be in place from Monday 9 November; £200 million ERF Lockdown Business Fund remains open; Self-Employment Income Support Scheme Grant Extension; Furlough Scheme Extended; Check if you can claim the Job Retention Bonus from 15 February 2021; Tourism research; Reminder on cross-border travel as Wales’ firebreak ends.
Guidance about the coronavirus rules that will be in place from Monday 9 November
Following the end of the firebreak, a new set of national rules will be introduced, covering how people can meet and how the public sector and businesses operate.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) regarding the above are online, as are the updated Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) (No. 4) (Wales) Regulations 2020.
FAQs include information on staying in accommodation, this is restricted to families living together, not extended families e.g.
Who can I stay with in holiday accommodation such as hotels, tents, caravans or self-catering accommodation?
- You will only be able to share holiday accommodation with the people you live with. This helps to reduce the risk of coronavirus being transmitted significantly, as sleeping in close proximity to other people carries a high risk of transmission due to the length of time you spend near each other.
Hospitality re-opening (pubs, bars, cafés and restaurants) - mitigating guidance for Wales post- firebreak is now available online.
Read the First Minister’s statement on the new national COVID measures for Wales in full on Gov.Wales.
£200 million ERF Lockdown Business Fund remains open
Businesses in Wales affected by the coronavirus pandemic can still get support through our Economic Resilience Fund (ERF) Phase 3. The £200m Lockdown Business Fund element remains open in most parts of Wales – this fund is to help those directly affected by the shorter term challenges of having to close during the firebreak, as well as those subject to local restrictions before it started.
The £100m Business Development Grant element of ERF has been paused to allow an assessment of applications to be undertaken – this fund is to help firms prepare themselves for the longer term challenges for a post-COVID.
Further details are available on the Business Wales website.
Read the Welsh Government written statement (5 November) in full on Gov.Wales.
Self-Employment Income Support Scheme Grant Extension
The UK Government is continuing to support the self-employed due to the impact that coronavirus (COVID-19) has had and is extending the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS). For further information please visit the Business Wales website.
Furlough Scheme Extended
The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) - also known as the Furlough scheme - will remain open until March 2021, with employees receiving 80% of their current salary for hours not worked, up to a maximum of £2,500. Additional guidance will be set out shortly. Read more on the Business Wales website.
Check if you can claim the Job Retention Bonus from 15 February 2021
Find out if you’re eligible to claim the Job Retention Bonus and what you need to do to claim it between 15 February 2021 and 31 March 2021. You can find more details on the Business Wales website.
Tourism research
A summary of recent tourism research for Wales and the UK is now available. This includes details of COVID-19 related Welsh Government research, and links to further external sources.
Reminder on cross-border travel as Wales’ firebreak ends
Travel between Wales and England will continue to be restricted as Wales’ firebreak ends and England’s month-long lockdown gets underway, Minister for Economy and North Wales Ken Skates today said. There will be no restrictions on travel within Wales from 9 November but the new national measures, which will come into force will mean travel will only be possible across the Wales-England border with a reasonable excuse. Examples of a reasonable excuse include travelling for work, education, a medical appointment, legal requirement or compassionate grounds.
The English lockdown also means cross-border travel is not allowed unless one of the exceptions in the English regulations applies. You can read the full press release at Gov.Wales.
Useful COVID-19 information
These continue to be updated so please check back regularly for the latest information.
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.
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