Tourism Industry Update
BULLETIN CONTENTS: Registration open: Visit Wales industry webinar: Travel Trade training – Reaching new audiences, 4 May 2022; Skills and Training: Flexible Skills Programme – funding to help with upskilling employees; Cardiff Capital Region (CCR) Employment & Skills Survey; Apprenticeship Awards Cymru 2022; Using social media and online tools in tourism and hospitality – new webinar dates; Research and Insights: COVID-19 UK Consumer sentiment tracker survey; Wales Visitor Economy Profile report; Wales Tourism Barometer: Spring Wave; Wales to host UK’s first major WWE® stadium event in 30 years at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium; Hay Festival 2022; Cultural itineraries to mark 10 years of the Wales Coast Path; Installation of EV Charge Ports – support for businesses; One network, one timetable, one ticket: planning buses as a public service for Wales.
Registration open: Visit Wales industry webinar: Travel Trade training – Reaching new audiences, 4 May 2022
Join us to hear how The Travel Trade can offer businesses a key opportunity for growth by opening up to new markets.
Visit Wales has teamed up with Mike Newman of b2me Tourism Marketing Ltd to deliver a free training webinar, to outline the opportunities in working with the Travel Trade and highlight new trends that are emerging in the post COVID environment.
The online session will take place on 4 May from 3:30pm until 4:30 / 5:00pm and will run on Microsoft Teams.
Businesses will have the opportunity to raise questions during a short Question and Answer session.
This will be an opportunity for businesses who would like to know more about the Travel Trade, interested in starting in this sector, or a refresher for those more familiar with working with the Travel Trade, including:
- Accommodation including B&Bs who can offer fully independent traveller rates through to large hotels
- Attractions
- Activity / sightseeing / tour operators
- Destination Marketing Organisations (DMOs) and Local Authorities
- Golf clubs
To join us, please book your place by 2:00 pm, 3 May 2022. Places will be allocated on a first come first served basis and all attendees will receive a meeting link on the morning of the event.
Skills and Training:
Flexible Skills Programme – funding to help with upskilling employees
Further to the recent announcement by the Economy Minister, The Wales Tourism and Hospitality Skills Partnership has been approved under the Partnership Project stream for funding from the Flexible Skills Programme.
This means that businesses in the tourism and hospitality sector can once again apply to the Flexible Skills Programme for funding to help with upskilling staff.
The funding is available to support employees of Wales-based tourism and hospitality businesses to attend training courses that are relevant to the sector – this can include face-to-face, or online training. Applications must receive approval before the training commences.
To find out if your business is eligible and for more information on the training that may be supported, as well as an expression of interest form – please go to Flexible Skills Programme | Business Wales Skills Gateway (gov.wales).
Cardiff Capital Region (CCR) Employment & Skills Survey
Since the launch of the Cardiff Capital Region (CCR) Employment and Skills Plan 2019-22 in 2019 there has been a huge change in the way people work, the types of jobs on offer and the skills now required by industry to drive businesses forward in a post pandemic world.
Contributions are now being sought for the Cardiff Capital Region (CCR) Employment & Skills Survey to help shape their New Employment & Skills Plan 2022-2025. Complete the short survey to help inform Welsh Government of skills, training and funding needs required in the region: Arolwg Sgiliau Cyflogwyr 2022 | Employers Skills Survey 2022 (smartsurvey.co.uk).
Apprenticeship Awards Cymru 2022
Apprenticeship Awards Cymru rewards individuals, learning providers, and employers who have excelled in contributing to the development of the Welsh Government’s Employability and Apprenticeship Programmes across Wales.
The Awards offer individuals and organisations the chance to be recognised and rewarded for their commitment, hard work, achievements and success in the Welsh Government’s Employability and Apprenticeship Programmes.
The closing for entries is 20 May 2022.
Visit the Business Wales website for more details.
Using social media and online tools in tourism and hospitality - new webinar dates
Join Superfast Business Wales for a free two-part webinar tailored for the tourism and hospitality sector.
Learn how to make your business stand out online, engage new customers, make more of reviews, as well as use digital tools like online booking platforms to run your business successfully.
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Part 1: Social media for tourism and hospitality
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Part 2: Running your tourism and hospitality business online
Sign up for the webinars and find out more about free one-to-one support on: Using Social Media and Online Tools in Tourism and Hospitality (Page 1 of 4) (office.com).
Research and Insights:
COVID-19 UK Consumer sentiment tracker survey
The latest COVID-19 Consumer Tracker report has been published on the VisitBritain website based on fieldwork from 1-7 April 2022.
Confidence in the ability to travel remains higher than at the start of the year. Free cancellation and sanitisation measures remain the top ways to reassure customers, with lower levels of expectation around COVID-19 safety measures such as face masks. Restaurants, parks and coastal areas continue to be the most favoured locations in the next month, but around 1 in 10 are still holding back from indoor venues and activities. Around 1 in 3 expect to take more overnight UK trips this year, and 1 in 5 expect to take more overseas trips. However, there are a substantial proportion (39%) who are unsure if they will take an overseas holiday this year.
Wales Visitor Economy Profile report
The Wales Visitor Economy Profile will be published on the Welsh Government website on Thursday 28 April. This report contains Welsh Government analysis of a range of data sources and covers employment, earnings, enterprises, expenditure and output data relating to the tourism and hospitality industries in Wales.
Key findings show Tourism Industries accounted for 11.3% of employment (151,000) in Wales in 2020. Tourism enterprises (12,110) accounted for 11.3% of registered enterprises in Wales in 2021. Combined, the seven tourism-related industries at SIC division level accounted for 5.0% of GVA in Wales in 2019 (£3.4 billion).
Wales Tourism Barometer: Spring Wave
The latest Wales Tourism Barometer will be published on Thursday 28 April at Tourism Barometer | GOV.WALES.
Key findings show that 2022 has started quite slowly for some businesses with only about one in five having had more customers compared to the same period in a ‘normal’ year, with many businesses citing remaining COVID-19 restrictions at the start of the year as a key reason. However, businesses are increasingly concerned about the price of energy and many other items which have increased in price in a relatively short time.
The continuation of the last-minute booking trend that started under COVID makes advanced booked capacity difficult to capture, with businesses reporting around 54% booked capacity; however, the trend to cancel bookings last minute complicates this message. Despite this, businesses are confident that the combination of removing COVID restrictions, and expect last minute increase in bookings will nonetheless make 2022 a positive year with 27% of businesses very confident, and a further 47% fairly confident that they will be able to operate profitably.
Wales to host UK’s first major WWE® stadium event in 30 years at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium
WWE recently announced (12 April) that the first major WWE stadium event to be held in the United Kingdom in more than 30 years will emanate from Principality Stadium in Cardiff, on Saturday, 3 September 2022.
“Wales will provide an iconic location for WWE’s return to the UK after 30 years and showcase our country to a global audience of millions, including extended reach in the USA,” said Welsh Government Minister for Economy Vaughan Gething. “This is set to be the perfect addition to a huge year of sport, entertainment and culture in Wales that will attract people from across the globe to experience what our country has to offer.”
Further details are available on: Wales to host United Kingdom's first major WWE stadium event in 30 years at Cardiff's Principality Stadium | WWE.
Hay Festival 2022
Hay Festival has unveiled the full programme for its 35th spring edition in Hay-on-Wye, from 26 May to 5 June 2022, with more than 500 in-person events.
Returning for its first in-person spring event since 2019, Hay Festival is the world’s leading festival of ideas, bringing readers and writers together in sustainable events to inspire, examine and entertain.
Visit the Business Wales website for more details.
Cultural itineraries to mark 10 years of the Wales Coast Path
This year, Wales is celebrating 10 years since the official opening of its 870-mile coastal path – the first of its kind in the world.
To mark the occasion, Wales Coast Path have teamed up with Cadw – to bring you a series of 20 walking itineraries to discover Welsh heritage along the iconic path.
Find out more on Cultural itineraries to mark 10 years of the Wales Coast Path | Business Wales (gov.wales).
Installation of EV Charge Ports – support for businesses
The Office for Zero Emission Vehicles champions the take-up of electric vehicles and supports the development of a chargepoint infrastructure across the UK: The accommodation and tourism sector can play a key role in this.
The UK Government is now offering help to businesses with the upfront costs to install charge points.
This grant is available for B&Bs, campsites, small hotels and any other accommodation business with less than 250 employees and to charities. All other businesses can also access the workplace charging scheme, but only for providing charge points for their staff or fleets. To apply, accommodation businesses will need to be registered with Companies House, have a VAT number, or have a HMRC (HM Revenue and Customs) registration letter.
The grant is provided using the Workplace Charging Scheme. To access it, businesses should:
One network, one timetable, one ticket: planning buses as a public service for Wales
Welsh government is currently seeking views on proposals for new bus legislation. This white paper sets out proposals for public transport bus services to better plan and grow the bus network.
Further details are available on: One network, one timetable, one ticket: planning buses as a public service for Wales | GOV.WALES.
Consultation ends: 24 June 2022.
Stay up to date with tourism industry news
Take a look at our latest Visit Wales industry newsletters and bulletins: Tourism Newsletter/Bulletin | Business Wales (gov.wales).
These include the latest tourism industry news from Wales and information for the industry on Coronavirus (COVID-19).
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.
For specific 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 to visit the Business Wales website or call Business Wales helpline on 03000 6 03000. You should 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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