Coronavirus: Tourism Industry Update

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26 August 2021


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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: Reminder - Alert Level 0 Guidance and Sector Specific Action Cards; Reminder - Face Coverings must be worn in all public indoor places, with the exception of pubs, restaurants and cafes and education settings; Hospitality recruitment campaign; Welsh Government further extends measures to protect businesses from eviction; Have your say on local taxes on second homes and holiday lets; Keep the date: Marketing update from Visit Wales (online session) – 23 September 2021; Welsh Visitor Survey highlights; New international augmented reality experience comes to Wales; Ramblers Cymru has secured £1.2m funding for a new project, Paths to Wellbeing!; You can now make August CJRS claims; Companies House webinars; Useful COVID-19 information.


Reminder: Alert Level 0 Guidance and Sector Specific Action Cards

Guidance alert level 0: guidance for employers, businesses and organisations provides the essential information needed to help businesses, employers and other organisations or institutions meet the legal obligations they are under to minimise the risk of people being exposed to, or spreading, coronavirus on their premises. 

At alert level zero, many of the legal requirements in tourism & hospitality settings have been removed though carrying out a coronavirus risk assessment continues to be a legal requirement for businesses, employers and event organisers, and there is a requirement to take reasonable measures to minimise the risk of exposure to coronavirus.   

Reasonable Measures Action cards include, Hospitality, Tourism Businesses including Accommodation and Attractions, Events and Night Clubs and Music Venues. If your business is multi-purpose you should consider all relevant action cards. 


Reminder: Face Coverings must be worn in all public indoor places, with the exception of pubs, restaurants and cafes and education settings

  • If the primary purpose of your business is to serve food & drink (e.g. a restaurant, café or pub), the wearing of a face covering isn’t mandated at that premises, but should be considered in ‘pinch point’ areas, when queuing, in lifts and corridors etc. as part of a risk assessment.
  • If your business is multi-purpose, with food & drink one of the many reasons for a visit (e.g. a hotel with a restaurant, an indoor attraction with a café, an events or conference centre with a restaurant, a cinema or theatre with a bar), face coverings must still be worn by staff and customers in all areas of the business apart from the specific areas where food & drink are consumed.

Hospitality recruitment campaign

Following the launch of our recruitment campaign earlier this month, which is being delivered in partnership with Working Wales, we are continuing to build up the range of case studies bringing together voices from across the sector to highlight the many benefits of working in hospitality and helping deliver great experiences to visitors.   

Keep an eye out on social and help support the campaign by using #TheExperienceMakers. For full details, visit the Working Wales website

For information on support with recruiting and training staff please visit our Skills and Recruitment pages.


Welsh Government further extends measures to protect businesses from eviction

Businesses affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic will now be protected from eviction until 25 March, 2022, Economy Minister Vaughan Gething has announced.

As part of a package of interventions the Welsh Government is making to support businesses, the moratorium against forfeiture for the non-payment of rent will now be further extended. It was originally due to end on 30 September, 2021.

This measure will ensure that landlords of relevant commercial premises are prevented from forfeiting the leases of such premises for non-payment of rent until 25 March 2022, but tenant’s should continue to pay rent wherever possible, and it is in the interests of both landlords and tenants to reach negotiated agreements on any arrears.  Read the announcement in full on Gov.Wales


Have your say on local taxes on second homes and holiday lets

Views are being sought on potential changes to local taxes which could be used by local authorities to tackle the effects that large numbers of second homes and commercial holiday lets can have in some parts of Wales.

The Welsh Government consultation on council tax and non-domestic rates is part of a summer of action launched by Climate Change Minister Julie James last month to address the impact of second home ownership seen in some of Wales’ communities.

While second home owners and people who stay in holiday lets can make an important contribution to our local economies, we want to ensure all homeowners and businesses make a fair contribution to the communities in which they own or let property.  Read the announcement in full on Gov.Wales.


Keep the date: Marketing update from Visit Wales (online session) – 23 September 2021

Following the Keeping Safe in the outdoors industry webinar held this summer, Visit Wales is pleased to be hosting another online session on 23 September at 2:00 pm until 3:15 pm. We’ll talk about the direction of our autumn/winter marketing work and also give an overview of audiences that are being targeted - all underpinned by the latest consumer market intelligence. Watch out for more details and how to register for the event soon.


Welsh Visitor Survey highlights

A short video has been produced on the highlights of the Welsh Visitor Survey for the industry. The survey was conducted prior to the pandemic but is an important resource for understanding the profile of leisure visitors to Wales. It also provides feedback on visitor satisfaction to improve Visit Wales’ understanding of the motivations, needs and behaviours of visitors to Wales.  


New international augmented reality experience comes to Wales

On Friday 20 August, a team of creatives, including partners from Wales, launched ‘Fix Up The City’, the first ever city-scale, immersive augmented reality (AR) experience based on the iconic duo Wallace and Gromit, which can be experienced in Cardiff, San Francisco and Bristol.

The new augmented adventure has been created by multi award®-winning animation studio, Aardman, and Fictioneers: which is a collaboration of partners including Newport-based Tiny Rebel Games, Potato (part of the AKQA network), and Sugar Creative.

The activity, funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), follows Fictioneers’ successful launch of The Big Fix Up earlier this year. The project also received support from Welsh Government via Creative Wales.  Read the announcement in full on Gov.Wales.


Ramblers Cymru has secured £1.2m funding for a new project, Paths to Wellbeing!

This two-year project working with communities across Wales, aims to identify new walking routes, maintain them, upgrade existing ones, and help promote them to members of your local community.

By providing training, practical support and environmental improvements, we hope to put walking at the heart of communities. We want to work with businesses to ensure their staff and families are connected to and understand the benefits of being in nature and outdoor physical activity. This project will benefit everyone in your area. We would really like to see people of all ages and backgrounds getting involved!

We will also be helping nature along the way, with activities such as tree planting, wildflower sowing and fun days. You will help make your community greener for wildlife to thrive and there will be activities for everyone to get involved in!

This project has received funding through the Welsh Government Rural Communities – Rural Development Programme 2014-2020, which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Welsh Government.

Visit the Ramblers Cymru website for more information or email the Paths to Wellbeing Engagement Officer with any questions.


You can now make August CJRS claims

Claims under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) are now open for pay periods in August 2021. You must submit your claim for August 2021 by 14 September 2021.

The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme will be ending on 30 September 2021.  Visit the Business Wales website for more details.


Companies House webinars

Join Companies House’ 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

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.


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