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 - Keep Wales Safe this summer, urges Health Minister; Written Statement: Euro 2020 – travel advice for football fans; “Welsh attractions are open and ready to welcome visitors” – Vaughan Gething; Online session specifically for industry partners: “Helping Guests and Visitors to Stay Safer in the Outdoors - Ask the Experts”; Guidance Update; Skills and Recruitment; £1.1 million for museums and libraries in Wales; FREE bespoke service for employers: Disabled People’s Employment Champions; Bluestone partners with Refill Wales saying no to plastic H2o; Business Wales Town Centre Entrepreneurship Fund; Outdoor civil wedding and partnership registrations to be legalised; Do you need wellbeing support for your employees?; The UK Business Climate Hub
Keep Wales Safe this summer, urges Health Minister
Health Minister Eluned Morgan has reminded everyone in Wales of their part to play in keeping Wales safe this summer.
Read the announcement in full on Gov.Wales.
Written Statement: Euro 2020 – travel advice for football fans
Eluned Morgan MS, Minister for Health and Social Services:
The Welsh Government is thrilled Wales has once again reached the final 16 of a major football tournament and we are hoping for further success in the Euro 2020 competition. This is an exciting time for our national men’s football team and for its brilliant supporters. Everyone wishes the team good luck against Denmark on Saturday.
The Euro 2020 tournament is taking place in the midst of the global pandemic and unfortunately, the restrictions that are in place to keep us all safe will have an impact on Welsh fans hoping to travel and follow the progress of our national team.
Our strong advice is that the best way for all of us to show our support for Wales is to support the team from home.
We also advise everyone – not just football fans – against travelling overseas this summer and although Wales getting to the next round of the Euros is really important- travelling there is not essential. This is the year to stay at home.
We have made significant progress in our efforts to reduce cases of coronavirus from the very high levels we saw at the start of the year, we want to do all we can to keep the virus under control, especially with the new delta variant spreading in Wales. Staying at home preferably cheering Wales on outdoors will help this.
Read in full on Gov.Wales.
“Welsh attractions are open and ready to welcome visitors” – Vaughan Gething
On a visit to Wales’ newest attraction, Zip World Tower, Economy Minister, Vaughan Gething said that Welsh attractions are open and ready to welcome visitors over the summer.
Read the announcement in full on Gov.Wales.
Next week – a chance to join an online session specifically for industry partners: “Helping Guests and Visitors to Stay Safer in the Outdoors - Ask the Experts”
On Thursday, 1 July at 2pm Visit Wales is pleased to be hosting an hour long free online session in advance of the summer holiday period. Businesses will have the opportunity to hear from the RNLI and Adventure Smart – speakers will also take questions at a Q&A panel.
RNLI – Chris Cousens (Water Safety Lead for the RNLI in Wales) will cover all the business resources that can be used including core messages and how to become an RNLI Water Ambassador this summer; a very simple way that a business can help spread the word and encourage safe visits.
Adventure Smart – Paul Donovan and Dr Emma Edwards-Jones on safety in the outdoors and what a business can use and point towards to help each guest/visitor make the most of their time in Wales, safely, when enjoying activities such as open water swimming to hill walking.
To join us, please book your place by 3pm, Tuesday 29 June. Places will be allocated on a first come first served basis and all attendees will receive follow up materials after the session.
Guidance Update:
Skills and Recruitment:
Cambrian Training Company
Cambrian Training Company delivers work-based apprenticeship training across the whole of Wales and specialises in supporting businesses in the Hospitality & Tourism sector.
Their team will discuss your business needs and the funding available to recruit and train staff, and can support your business to apply for Kickstart placements, help to advertise & recruit an apprentice free of charge and deliver high quality apprenticeship training: Their apprenticeship job vacancies are advertised on their website, apprenticeship vacancy national service and their social media. To find out more, contact the Cambrian Training team.
We will continue to collate and share this type of information, in the meantime please contact your local college to see if they can help with advertising your vacancies.
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.
£1.1 million for museums and libraries in Wales
Eight museums and libraries will benefit from £1.1 million funding through the Welsh Government’s Transformation Capital Grants.
The scheme aims to support local museums, archives and libraries to revitalise facilities with a particular focus on widening access, partnership working and developing sustainable services.
Read the announcement in full on Gov.Wales.
FREE bespoke service for employers: Disabled People’s Employment Champions
The Welsh Government has employed a network of Disabled People’s Employment Champions, supported by Business Wales Disabled People’s Employment Advisors, to provide advice, information and support to employers across Wales.
Any business in Wales interested in increasing the diversity of their workforce and finding out more about the many benefits of and support available for employing disabled people can contact the Champions at: DPEC@gov.wales.
Visit the Business Wales website for more details.
Bluestone partners with Refill Wales saying no to plastic H2o
On World Refill Day earlier this month, Bluestone National Park Resort announced that plastic bottled water will no longer be sold anywhere at the resort.
The move forms part of a new partnership with environmental organisation City to Sea, which are behind the award-winning national Refill campaign and app which helps people to eat, drink and shop with less plastic.
The decision to remove all plastic bottled water from sale is part of a long-term sustainability drive for Bluestone. Two years ago, all staff were given reusable drinks flasks, which reduced plastic water bottles and disposable coffee cups use in staff areas by over 12,000 items per year.
Now the resort is removing water in plastic bottles from sale across the site, a move which will come into full effect from 16 July.
It’s estimated that this will prevent a further 25,000 plastic bottles from being used each year; instead, visitors will be encouraged to prepare for their visit by packing a reusable water bottle and filling them up for free. Guests are also offered a 10% discount on hot drinks if they bring a reusable cup to any of the resort’s outlets instead of asking for a takeaway cup.
Visitors to the resort will also be encouraged to download the Refill app, which allows them to search for hundreds of tap water Refill stations around Wales, where they will be able to fill up on the go, for free.
Business Wales Town Centre Entrepreneurship Fund
Welsh Government has launched the Town Centre Entrepreneurship Fund as a pilot programme to provide financial assistance for entrepreneurs and businesses who are looking to start and grow a business in one of four town centres across North Wales – Bangor, Colwyn Bay, Rhyl and Wrexham.
This fund will be available as a discretionary grant of between £2,500 - £10,000 per business to support with the revenue costs associated with starting up in or relocating to a town centre.
You can find more details on the Business Wales website.
Outdoor civil wedding and partnership registrations to be legalised
Outdoor civil wedding and partnership ceremonies in England and Wales are set to be legalised for the first time – offering greater choice to couples in a boost to the wedding sector.
Under current laws for approved premises such as a hotel, the legal wedding or civil partnership ceremony must take place in an approved room or permanent structure. It will now be possible for a couple to have the whole ceremony outside at such a venue.
This change will give more options to couples and the sector in terms of how they celebrate and host the big day by allowing all aspects of weddings to take place outdoors, from 1 July 2021 – providing greater flexibility especially during the pandemic when there are important public health considerations to take into account.
For further information please visit GOV.UK.
Do you need wellbeing support for your employees?
Based in Neath Port Talbot Hospital, the Wellbeing through Work team deliver the In Work Support Service across Swansea, Neath Port Talbot and Bridgend, in partnership with the Welsh Government and Swansea Bay University Health Board. The Service also provides free Workplace Health Programmes for local small to medium sized businesses who want to take a proactive approach to promoting and supporting staff health and wellbeing.
As part of their free Workplace Health Programmes they offer a range of Wellbeing Workshops which are running from June until September 2021 for business owners/managers/supervisors, as well work-based wellbeing awareness sessions for staff.
View the Business Wales website for more details.
There is a wealth of support available to you online: Wellbeing and Mental Health | Business Wales.
You can find out more information on the Wellbeing through Work Programme by using the following link: Wellbeing Through Work.
The UK Business Climate Hub
The UK Business Climate Hub is a campaign that asks UK small businesses of up to 250 employees to join the fight against climate change by committing to reducing their greenhouse gas emissions.
When you commit, you’ll get the tools to help you understand your emissions, how to tackle them, and how to share what you’re doing with your customers and your community. For further information visit the UK Business Climate Hub 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.
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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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