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 - £180m fund for Hospitality, Leisure and Tourism businesses open; New Covid vaccination strategy published; Apply now to attend VisitBritain’s ExploreGB Virtual, 1–5 March 2021* : Registration closes 15 January; Skills & Training - Personal Learning Accounts; Flexible Skills Programme; Business Online Support Service; Superfast Business Wales offer launches free Winter webinars for businesses; Wellbeing and Mental Health; Trading with the EU: New Guidance; MIT ILP – Wales Virtual Conference; Useful COVID-19 information
£180m fund for Hospitality, Leisure and Tourism businesses open
Welsh Government’s latest £180 million Economic Resilience Fund package to support tourism, hospitality and leisure businesses affected by coronavirus restrictions opened on 13 January and will remain open for 2 weeks or until funds are fully committed. The amount a company can claim from the sector specific fund will be calculated based on staff count and turnover. Get information on how to apply for the package of business support on the Business Wales website.
New Covid vaccination strategy published
All eligible adults will be offered a Covid vaccine by the autumn, under ambitious plans published by the Welsh Government. The COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy sets out three key milestones:
- By mid-February – all care home residents and staff; frontline health and social care staff; everyone over 70 and everyone who is clinically extremely vulnerable will have been offered vaccination.
- By the Spring – vaccination will have been offered to all the other phase one priority groups. This is everyone over 50 and everyone who is at-risk because they have an underlying health condition.
- By the autumn – vaccination will have been offered to all other eligible adults in Wales, in line with any guidance issued by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).
Read the full vaccination strategy announcement on Gov.Wales.
In addition, every household is to receive vaccination information. Letters about the Welsh Government’s COVID-19 vaccination plans will shortly begin to arrive at the front door of every household in Wales and will be issued by Local Authorities, on behalf of the Welsh Government. It will provide information on the roll-out of the coronavirus vaccines currently available in Wales, how the vaccines are being made available and in what way people will be invited to an appointment.
Apply now to attend VisitBritain’s ExploreGB Virtual, 1–5 March 2021* : Registration closes 15 January
ExploreGB Virtual 2021 offers an opportunity to build and strengthen business relationships with key industry partners based in the UK and internationally. You must be interested and able to contract / sell through the travel trade to participate. The event is free to attend and registrations are open until 15 January 2021. For the full programme and further information, please visit www.exploregb.co.uk.
*flexible commitment to suit your diary.
SKILLS & TRAINING
Personal Learning Accounts
The Personal Learning Account programme, launched by the Welsh Government, is designed to help businesses to recruit new talent and overcome current and future skill shortages by supporting employers’ upskilling requirements.
Your skills requirements may have changed as a result of COVID-19, for example:
- it could be that you now need to change the way you market your business
- your employees may need new digital skills to adjust to new markets
The Personal Learning Account Programme may be able to help by:
- Supporting the skills development of your employees through flexible training courses
- Enable them to gain qualifications to help meet your current skills gaps
- Help you address current challenges and grow the business
More information and an expression of interest form can be found on the Business Wales Skills Gateway website (or contact your local college).
Flexible Skills Programme
The Wales Tourism and Hospitality Skills Partnership has been successful in a bid to the Welsh Government’s Flexible Skills Programme Partnerships scheme. This funding is available to support employees of Wales-based tourism and hospitality businesses to attend training courses that are relevant to the sector.
Approved training courses will attract a 50% contribution towards the total eligible costs from the Welsh Government. More information on training that may be supported under the scheme, as well as a contact form, can be found on the Business Wales Skills Gateway website.
Business Online Support Service
Business Wales’ Business Online Support Service (BOSS) is here to help you and your business. It’s online learning made simple and it offers free courses to you and your staff at a time and pace to suit you. Find out more and see what courses are available on the Business Wales BOSS website.
Superfast Business Wales - free Winter webinars for businesses
Digital support champion Superfast Business Wales has launched its free winter webinar programme to include: social media, digital marketing, SEO, online tools, cyber security, websites, and more. Get the digital skills and confidence you need to help navigate these uncertain times. Visit the events page and book your free webinars
Wellbeing and mental health
These are unprecedented times for us as a society and whether you are self-employed or a business owner, COVID-19 will be causing a level of uncertainty.
Guidance and information on Wellbeing and Mental Health for the business community is available through the Business Wales website. Business Wales has developed an integrated approach to support business owners during this crisis embedding wellbeing conversations in advisory sessions and webinars. Helpline and business advisers can also identify business owners displaying mental health concerns through conversation enabling them to introduce sources of support and refer as appropriate. Business Wales offers a programme of webinars that focus on key business concerns, financial management, HR and staff concerns, managing and working remotely
OTHER NEWS:
Trading with the EU: New Guidance
The UK left the EU on 31 December 2020. The rules governing the new relationship between the EU and UK took effect on 1 January 2021. There are changes to the way UK businesses trade with the EU that may impact your business. Read more on the Business Wales website.
Visit the EU Transition Portal regularly to keep up to date with the latest news.
MIT ILP – Wales Virtual Conference
How can we be more innovative? What does the future of work look like and how will technology change our lives? How does a good leader manage change?
Welsh Government is offering a unique opportunity for you to explore these big questions directly with one of the world’s most prestigious academic institutions; The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The free online seminars take place on 3, 10 and 17 February 2021 from 1.15pm to 2pm. Visit the Business Wales website for more details.
Useful COVID-19 information
As each premises is different, businesses should read all guidance. This continues 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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