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 - North Wales can have stronger, greener, fairer future – First Minister; Written Statement: New variants of coronavirus; Don’t forget to pack your Covid test, if you’re holidaying in Wales; Holiday in Wales this year new Health Minister asks; Live performances; Economic Resilience Fund (ERF) Business Support; Brown and white tourism signage - updated guidance available; Reminder for businesses: Ventilation / Keeping records / Face masks; “Addo – My promise to Wales”; COVID-19 UK Tourism Consumer Tracker Survey Wales Profile; Escape the Everyday – VisitBritain campaign; Skills and Training; Cyber Security for SMEs; Help spread safety messages by becoming a local water safety ambassador for RNLI / HM Coastguard; Wales Start-Up Awards: Tourism and Leisure Start-Up of the Year; Join The Refill Revolution this World Refill Day - 16 June 2021; Manufacturing and providing hand sanitiser and surface disinfectant; Useful COVID-19 information.
North Wales can have stronger, greener, fairer future – First Minister
North Wales can look ahead to a stronger, greener and fairer future, the First Minister Mark Drakeford said today as he visited the region.
He visited the the recently-opened Penderyn Distillery in Llandudno as it prepares to open to the public – tours of the distillery are set to begin from June 1. The £5m distillery received £1.4m from the Welsh Government’s Tourism Investment scheme and Food Investment Scheme.
He also visited the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in north-east Wales, where he heard more about how the area was investing in a more sustainable future while also supporting the tourism industry. Read the announcement in full on Gov.Wales.
Written Statement: New variants of coronavirus
Throughout the course of the pandemic, a clear and consistent pattern in the spread of coronavirus along travel corridors has emerged. This is true within Wales; across the UK and internationally. The virus moves with people, and people bring the virus into new areas as they move around.
Analysis of the different variants of the virus in the UK has indicated the majority were first observed in England. Cases in Wales often appeared a few days later.
A new variant has been identified, which appears to be even more transmissible than the Kent variant. First identified in India, it is likely to become the dominant variant in the UK, in the same way as the Kent variant did. Cases have been identified in many areas across the UK – particularly in Bolton, Blackburn, Kirklees, Bedford, Burnley, Leicester, Hounslow and North Tyneside. We have also recorded 57 cases of the India variant of concern in Wales. Read the announcement in full on Gov.Wales.
Don’t forget to pack your Covid test, if you’re holidaying in Wales
Visitors are being urged to pack lateral flow tests in their suitcases if they are holidaying in Wales from areas in the UK with higher rates of coronavirus.
The First Minister has asked all visitors from Covid hotspots, including areas in England with high levels of the India variant of concern, to take extra measures to help keep Wales safe. But the advice stops short of restricting travel beyond these areas.
As Wales’ tourism sector prepares for late Spring bank holiday weekend and the start of the summer season, the First Minister urged travellers from all over the UK, especially the eight hotspot areas in England, to use and pack lateral flow testing kits if they are coming to Wales. Read the announcement in full on Gov.Wales.
Lateral flow testing kits are available from local collection points. More information is available at: https://maps.test-and-trace.nhs.uk/
More information about cases of variants of concern are published on the UK surveillance page (updated weekly) and via the Public Health Wales website (updated twice a week – under the variant surveillance tab).
Holiday in Wales this year new Health Minister asks
The Health Minister, Eluned Morgan is encouraging people to holiday in Wales and explore its beauty this summer as the fight against COVID-19 continues.
The Welsh Government has announced residents of Wales can apply for a certificate of vaccination for urgent international travel. The certificate allows them to demonstrate they have received the full course of a COVID-19 vaccine. Read the announcement in full on Gov.Wales.
Live performances
The guidance on live performances has been updated and is now available in the UKHospitality Wales Guidance.
COVID-19: Economic Resilience Fund (ERF) Business Support
The Economic Resilience Fund (ERF) will provide support in the form of cash grants for businesses, social enterprises and charities and associated supply chain businesses that have experienced a material negative impact as a result of ongoing COVID-19 restrictions. The grants will help meet operating costs (excluding staff wages) for the period 1 May 2021 to 30 June 2021.
Visit the Business Wales website for more details.
Brown and white tourism signage - updated guidance available
Tourist signs are distinctive brown signs with white text used to direct drivers to a tourist destination in the final stages of their journey. Updated guidance for this signage is now available.
Reminder for businesses:
As you re-open, 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.
Key areas businesses need to remain focussed on are:
All hospitality businesses should take action to increase ventilation at their premises. This is such an important step that you, as a hospitality business, can take to reduce the risk of spreading coronavirus in your pub, bar, café or restaurant.
Good ventilation reduces how much virus is in the air. It helps reduce the risk from aerosol transmission when someone breathes in small particles in the air after a person with the virus has been in the same enclosed area.
Think about what extra measures you can introduce to improve airflow by opening windows and propping open internal doors (but not fire doors) wherever possible.
In Wales, it is compulsory for hospitality businesses - including pubs, bars, cafes and restaurants - to collect details of staff, customers and visitors to support the NHS Wales Test, Trace, Protect service. This means that if you run a hospitality business, you must introduce an electronic or paper-based system that will record the name, contact details and arrival time of every customer (excluding children).
This is a legal requirement and is vital to supporting contact tracing in the event of an outbreak. Asking customers to use the NHS App is not enough and does not exempt a business from collecting this information.
Staff working in all indoor and outdoor areas accessible to the public must wear masks (unless they have a reasonable excuse). This means that masks must be worn by staff serving customers food and drink and when staff move around the premises.
This is a legal requirement in indoor spaces and masks must also be worn by staff serving customers outside. Your customers must also wear face masks when not seated to eat or drink at their allocated table.
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.
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.
“Addo – My promise to Wales”
Our Addo: make your promise campaign promoting responsible tourism behaviour in Wales is continuing. The campaign encourages everyone to follow the rules, be kind and courteous to staff and to support local businesses within our communities.
Please support the Addo campaign: Download the Addo assets from our handy industry toolkit and use them in communications with your own customers.
COVID-19 UK Tourism Consumer Tracker Survey Wales Profile
Visit Wales continues to collaborate with VisitBritain and VisitScotland in running a UK consumer tracker and the latest report profiling Wales residents and visitors to Wales, covering 6 April – 9 May (Waves 28-30) can be found on the Welsh Government website.
Key findings show an improvement in national mood and travel confidence, as well as increasing intentions to take a trip this summer. The report includes detail on the prospective visitor to Wales this year and where they intend to stay, as well as spring / summer day trip intentions.
Escape the Everyday – VisitBritain campaign
The £5 million, UK-wide ‘Escape the Everyday’ campaign highlights the quality destinations, visitor attractions and experiences on offer across the UK’s cities, countryside and coast to boost tourism across the shoulder season and beyond.
The latest forecasts show that domestic tourism spending in Britain is estimated this year to be £51.4 billion, up 51% on 2020, but still only a little more than half, 56%, of the £91.6 billion in 2019. It is therefore crucial that we work together to drive more domestic breaks as quickly as possible.
VisitBritain are working in close partnership with the tourism organisations of London, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to ensure that the campaign activity reflects the current guidance for each region/nation. Find out more on the VisitBritain website.
Skills and Training:
- Welsh Food and Drink workshop
Wales. A Food Destination are offering more fully funded virtual workshops in June starting with a Food Styling and Photography masterclass with Nerys Howell and Phil Boorman. Visit the Food Skills Cymru website for more information on the Workshops and masterclasses for June 2021.
- Help to Grow your business
Small business leaders can now register their interest for Help to Grow Management, a 12 week-programme delivered by leading business schools across the UK. Designed to be manageable alongside full-time work, this programme will support small business leaders to develop their strategic skills with key modules covering financial management, innovation and digital adoption.
Jobcentre Plus can offer businesses help and support with recruiting and hiring people. More information about how they can help your business is available at Jobcentre Plus help for recruiters.
Join Companies House’s latest live webinars for quick and useful guidance. The webinars cover a range of topics, including:
- starting a limited company and your responsibilities to Companies House and HMRC
- how intellectual property such as patents, trademarks and copyrights can affect your business
For further information on skills, recruitment and training support for your business, as well as other support such as Wellbeing for employers and employees, visit our Skills pages.
Cyber Security for SMEs
Whether you work for yourself or you run a business with employees, cyber security needn't be a daunting challenge. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has advice and information for Small and medium sized organisations (SMEs).
NCSC have recently launched their Cyber Security for Small Organisations and Top Tips for Staff awareness e-learning, both of these are enabled to allow you to integrate the package into your own organisation's training platform. You can find more details on the Business Wales website.
Help spread safety messages by becoming a local water safety ambassador for RNLI / HM Coastguard
As more and more people continue to visit the coast businesses can play an invaluable role to support the RNLI by becoming water safety ambassadors. RNLI together with HM Coastguard run the #RespectTheWater campaign for the bathing season and businesses can become ambassadors by making themselves familiar with the key messages and do things such as
- Reminding yourself which of the beaches are lifeguarded this summer by checking the full list
- Warning of the dangers of local beaches that are known to be hazardous particularly those with rip tides and where you can get cut off.
- Informing people of the different coloured flags on beaches and what they mean.
- Providing information on tide times and when there are high winds which can be particularly dangerous when using inflatables.
- Reminding people that if they fall into the water unexpectedly, they should FLOAT TO LIVE
From accommodation to retailers and hospitality venues it’s really easy to support the work and raise awareness and the RNLI have produced really useful assets for businesses including downloadable posters to help share messages.
Information about Playing safe on an RNLI lifeguarded beach is also available on VisitWales.com.
Wales Start-Up Awards: Tourism and Leisure Start-Up of the Year
Now in their sixth year, the Wales Start-Up Awards celebrate the success of new businesses and recognise businesses across all sectors and all parts of Wales. The Awards will celebrate entrepreneurship in September 2021 and includes a category open to any start-up based in the tourism and leisure sector in Wales; with judges looking for those new businesses that focus on excellence in delivering customer service and demonstrate innovation in tourism and leisure products and services. Closing date for entries is 31 May.
Join The Refill Revolution this World Refill Day - 16 June 2021
This World Refill Day, choose to reuse and join millions of people around the world taking action to reduce plastic pollution. World Refill Day is a global public awareness campaign to prevent plastic pollution and help people live with less waste. For more information and how to get involved visit Refill.org.uk.
Manufacturing and providing hand sanitiser and surface disinfectant
During the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, there has been an increased demand for hand sanitiser and surface disinfectant products.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has guidance for employers who are providing hand sanitiser for their workers and others to use in their workplaces, and for existing and new manufacturers of hand sanitisers and surface disinfectants. You can find more details on the Business Wales website.
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.
|
