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 - Eligibility checker for hospitality, leisure and tourism fund goes live; Welsh Government further extends measures to protect businesses impacted by coronavirus from eviction until end of March 2021; Christmas bubble guidance; Coronavirus self-isolation and quarantine reduced to ten days in Wales; Eligibility criteria for third SEISS grant; Claim for wages through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme; Places available for virtual Britain & Ireland Marketplace (BIM) 2021 – 26 January 2021; ETOA & UKinbound Webinar: UK & Ireland 2021-22; EU TRANSITION INFORMATION: EU Transition Portal – Stay informed, stay prepared; EU Transition Letter; Stay up to date with new guidance and resources from the ICO.
Eligibility checker for hospitality, leisure and tourism fund goes live
Hospitality, Leisure and Tourism businesses impacted by latest coronavirus restrictions can now find out how much they can expect to receive from the latest round of Welsh Government’s business support package.
Welsh Government recently announced £340 million to assist businesses affected by coronavirus restrictions which came into force on 4 December. The latest package includes a £160 million Restrictions Business Fund predominantly for businesses paying non domestic rates, and a £180 million grant fund specifically for impacted businesses in the tourism, leisure and hospitality sectors.
Under this latest round of Welsh Government support a typical hospitality business in Wales with the equivalent of six full-time staff could be eligible to receive between £12,000 and £14,000 to help them through this period of restrictions and into the new year.
The £160 million Restrictions Business Fund will see impacted businesses that pay non-domestic rates within the hospitality, tourism, leisure, retail sectors and their supply chain qualifying for a one-off payment of between £3,000 and £5,000.
Hospitality businesses that received non-domestic rates funding under the previous firebreak restrictions can expect this payment before Christmas. However, all other eligible businesses will need to register in the new year to receive their payment.
Impacted firms, including those not paying business rates, can also apply for a share of the £180 million Sector Specific Fund. This part of the package, which is calculated on a business’ staff count and turnover, is expected to support up to 8,000 businesses in sectors impacted by the restrictions and potentially a further 2,000 in related supply chains.
A new eligibility checker and calculator will be live on the Business Wales website from 10am on Friday 11 December to help businesses work out what support they can expect to qualify for. Guidance will also be available for firms to help them through the application process for the Sector Specific Fund which will open during the week of 11 January.
Read the announcement in full on Gov.Wales.
Welsh Government further extends measures to protect businesses impacted by coronavirus from eviction until end of March 2021
Retailers, pubs, restaurants and other businesses affected by coronavirus (COVID-19) will now be protected from eviction until the end of March 2021, Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales Ken Skates has announced.
As part of the action Welsh Government is taking to support the business community from the impact of COVID-19 the moratorium against forfeiture for the non-payment of rent, which was due to end on 31 December, will now be extended until 31 March 2021.
While businesses should continue to pay rent wherever possible, the latest measure will ensure no business is forced out of its premises if it misses a payment between now and the end of March 2021. The move will help ease the burden on a range of sectors, including retail and hospitality, at what continues to be a time of immense challenge.
Read the announcement in full on Gov.Wales.
Christmas bubble guidance
Christmas bubble guidance is online. It includes items such as:
Staying overnight in holiday accommodation - You can stay in a hotel or other forms of holiday accommodation such as holiday rental accommodation during the Christmas period, but in Wales you can only do this with people you live with (or someone who is with you to provide care for a vulnerable person).
Coronavirus self-isolation and quarantine reduced to ten days in Wales
As from Thursday 10 December, the time people have to self-isolate for coronavirus was reduced from 14 days to 10 in Wales. Travellers returning from non-exempt countries now only have to quarantine for 10 days instead of 14 as part of changes to the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) (Wales) Regulations 2020). Read the full announcement on Gov.Wales.
Eligibility criteria for third SEISS grant
If you're self-employed or a member of a partnership and have been impacted by coronavirus (COVID-19) find out if you can use this scheme to claim a grant. If you were not eligible for the first and second grant based on the information in your Self Assessment tax returns, you will not be eligible for the third. For further information please visit the Business Wales website.
Claim for wages through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
Claim for some of your employee’s wages if you have put them on furlough or flexible furlough because of coronavirus (COVID-19). Please note furlough claims for November must be made by 14 December. For further information please visit the Business Wales website.
Places available for virtual Britain & Ireland Marketplace (BIM) 2021 – 26 January 2021
Britain & Ireland Marketplace (BIM) 2021 is an annual B2B workshop organised by the European Tour Operator Association (ETOA) that will take place online. The closing date for applications will be 18 December 2020. Visit the tourism industry website for more information.
ETOA & UKinbound Webinar: UK & Ireland 2021-22
European Tourism Association (ETOA) and UKinbound will be hosting a UK & Ireland 2021-22 webinar on Tuesday 15 December at 4:00 pm and they are inviting Welsh tourism businesses to attend. In preparation for the business to business event ‘Britain & Ireland Marketplace’ Joss Croft, UKinbound, and Tom Jenkins, ETOA, will be discussing the prospects for 2021 and 2022 for the UK and Ireland in the light of research from David Edwards.
EU TRANSITION INFORMATION:
Stay informed, stay prepared - EU Transition Portal
The end of the transition period is fast approaching and this will mean changes to the current rules on trading. Visit the EU Transition Portal regularly to keep up to date with the latest news.
EU Transition Letter
Both the Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales, Ken Skates and the Rt Hon Simon Hart MP, Secretary of State for Wales, have issued a joint letter highlighting the actions you need to take to prepare for the changes which will occur and affect business operations from 1 January 2021.
Stay up to date with new guidance and resources from the ICO
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) continues to help organisations and businesses prepare for all scenarios and will be developing resources for further support. Visit the Business Wales website for more details.
Useful COVID-19 information
As each premises is different, businesses should read all guidance to understand the measures to be considered to re-open the business safely. 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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