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 - New top team to lead Wales into a brighter future; Statement by the First Minister of Wales; Coronavirus (COVID-19) guidance and checklists for tourism and hospitality businesses; Further support for Welsh businesses; Wales pilot test events get underway; “Addo – My promise to Wales”; Making COVID-19 measures accessible for your blind and partially sighted customers; COVID-19 Workplace testing webinars / rapid flow tests; REMINDER - 6,000 businesses in Wales are now “Good to Go”; Acas publishes new long Covid advice for employers; Virtual Hay Festival 2021; Frequently Asked Questions; Useful COVID-19 information.
Climate change, new green jobs and recovery from the pandemic will be at the heart of the new Welsh Labour Government, as First Minister Mark Drakeford reveals his new Cabinet team.
Statement by the First Minister of Wales
The statement made by Mark Drakeford yesterday (12 May) whilst speaking in the Senedd, following being nominated to be First Minister of Wales, can be viewed at Gov.Wales.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) guidance and checklists for tourism and hospitality businesses
As we look at a phased re-opening, please ensure that you are aware of and following the updated UKHospitality Wales Guidance in addition to the Guidance for Tourism and Hospitality businesses. (Please watch this short film to help you find your way around the guidance).
As each premises is different, businesses should read all guidance to understand the measures to be considered to re-open the business safely.
If you run a hospitality business, it is a legal requirement to keep your own records of customers, staff and visitors to support the NHS Wales Test, Trace, Protect service. This means that you must introduce an electronic or paper-based system that records the name, contact details and arrival time of every customer (excluding children). Asking customers to use the NHS App is not enough and does not exempt a business from collecting this information.
Checklists are available which outline the key measures for Keeping Records, along with Social Distancing and Hygiene, that you should implement to keep your staff, customers and visitors safe.
Businesses should also:
- Maximise ventilation and enhance airflow by opening windows and propping open internal doors (but not fire doors) where possible.
- Staff working in all indoor and outdoor areas accessible to the public must wear masks (unless they have a reasonable excuse). Masks must be worn by staff serving customers food and drink and when staff move around the premises. Your customers must also wear face masks when not seated to eat or drink at their allocated table.
You can also use the Business Action Card which provides you with information on how to keep COVID-19 out of your premises, what action to take when an employee or customer tests positive and how can you minimise the spread of COVID-19 in your business. This has also been shared as guidance to enforcement officers with Environmental Health teams and Incident Management Teams at Local Authorities for use as they visit hospitality businesses.
Further resources include:
Further support for Welsh businesses
Businesses in Wales still affected by coronavirus restrictions will be able to claim up to £25,000 more in support to help meet ongoing costs.
This next package of business support comes as the Welsh Government confirmed up to six people from six different households will be able to meet in indoor regulated settings, such as cafes and pubs, when they open from May 17. This latest support package will help those businesses, which remain affected by restrictions, to meet ongoing costs through to the end of June as they prepare for re-opening and more normal trading conditions. Businesses that stand to benefit include:
- nightclubs and late entertainment venues
- events and conference venues not covered by the Welsh Government’s Cultural Recovery Fund (CRF)
- hospitality and leisure businesses, including restaurants, pubs and cafes
- supply chain business, which have been materially impacted by restrictions
An eligibility checker will open on the Business Wales website at midday on 17 May so businesses can find out how much support they are likely to be entitled to and how to apply.
Businesses will be able submit applications by the end of the month and they will receive between £2,500 and £25,000 depending on their circumstances. Funding will be calculated based on the size of the business and the type of restrictions they are under. Read the announcement in full on Gov.Wales.
Wales pilot test events get underway
As the Coronavirus restrictions continue to relax in Wales, the Welsh Government has announced a proposed list of pilot test events to take place over the forthcoming weeks.
The Welsh Government is working with partners on the delivery of pilot test events which will develop processes and guidance that will allow the safe return of events in Wales. Managing a safe and successful test events programme will hopefully allow larger gatherings back to stadia, theatres and other venues in Wales later this year.
For further details, read the announcement in full on Gov.Wales.
“Addo – My promise to Wales”
Our Addo: make your promise campaign promoting responsible tourism behaviour in Wales is continuing and as we look forward to further easing of the restrictions within the tourism sector next week, we will be communicating messages around hospitality and reinforcing positive behaviour.
The campaign encourages everyone to follow the rules, be kind and courteous to staff and to support local businesses within our communities. The campaign is live across all of our digital channels and will be amplified further with a new version of our Addo film running on S4C, ITV and Sky from 17 May onwards as well as on Video on Demand, Spotify and digital radio.
Please help support our campaign by sharing our messages with your own customers. There are Addo assets available for you to download and use in our handy industry toolkit.
Making COVID-19 measures accessible for your blind and partially sighted customers
RNIB has created some best practice guidelines to help businesses understand how to help blind and partially sighted customers with COVID-19 measures.
Find out how to make measures more accessible and support blind and partially sighted customers.
COVID-19 workplace testing webinars / rapid flow tests
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For businesses with 10 or more employees - The support for regular asymptomatic testing in private and public sector workplaces in Wales will focus on workplaces with more than 10 employees that cannot work from home. Welsh Government is hosting a series of webinars over the next few weeks providing an overview of the offer available, and the requirements you will need to meet to participate in the COVID-19 Workplace Testing.
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For businesses with less than 10 employees - People who are unable to work from home, and who do not have coronavirus symptoms, can order free rapid lateral flow tests online. Rapid lateral flow self-tests are also available to collect from certain test sites across Wales.
For more information about these webinars or to access free rapid lateral flow tests, visit the Business Wales website.
REMINDER - 6,000 businesses in Wales are now “Good to Go”
The “We’re Good To Go” industry standard mark is a free self-assessment scheme that has been designed in partnership with the national organisations (Visit Wales, Tourism Northern Ireland, VisitScotland and VisitEngland) to provide reassurance for all sectors of the tourism industry, as well as reassurance to visitors, that businesses have clear processes in place and are following industry and Government COVID-19 guidance on cleanliness and social distancing.
This mark is now also recognised by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) as a means of customer reassurance in an international context, as it meets WTTC’s international global standardised health and hygiene protocols.
Businesses who have read and implemented the Welsh Government Coronavirus Tourism and Hospitality reopening guidance, understand the guidance from Public Health Wales and have a COVID-19 Risk Assessment in place can apply for the industry standard mark.
If you haven’t signed up yet, please do – it’s a simple process and it will mean that your business can use the mark to give confidence to consumers. The scheme is being used across the UK and prospective visitors will increasingly be on the lookout for venues and services taking part, when planning their trip.
It will continue to be a core part of Visit Wales messaging to consumers and users on VisitWales.com can search all products via the “Good to Go” filter option.
Please help in sharing the message and be sure to tag @visitwalesbiz in your social communications.
Acas publishes new long Covid advice for employers
Coronavirus (COVID-19) can cause symptoms for some people that can last weeks or months after the infection has gone. This is now widely known as long COVID and it’s having an impact on businesses as affected workers try to get back to work.
Acas has published guidance for employers about the impact long Covid could have on employees. The guidance provides practical tips for employers to manage the various effects of the condition as well a range of options that can help staff get back to work safely.
Virtual Hay Festival 2021
The programme for the Hay Festival’s 34th spring edition has been launched. The festival will be broadcasting for free online this year from Hay-on-Wye to the world from 26 May to 6 June 2021.
Over 12 days, more than 200 acclaimed writers, global policy makers, historians, poets, pioneers and innovators will join the Hay Virtual Festival to inspire, examine and entertain in events for all ages. All events will be closed-captioned and most events will be available to watch for free 24 hours from their live broadcast. After this they will be available in the online archive Hay Player - please see individual listings for more details.
Further information can be found on The Hay Festival website.
Frequently Asked Questions
A list of Frequently Asked Questions in relation to Coronavirus can be found on Gov.Wales.
These continue to be updated so please check back regularly for the latest information.
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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