Industry Update: 6 November

National lockdown update from VisitBritain

As you are no doubt aware, on Saturday the Prime Minister announced a second national lockdown for England. The lockdown came into effect at 00.01 yesterday for four weeks, so until 2 December 2020. After the four weeks, the Government will seek to ease restrictions by going back into the tiered system on a local and a regional basis according to the latest data and trends.

Key points from the speech are: 

  • The public must now stay at home, only leaving home for specific reasons, including:
    • For education
    • For work, if you cannot work from home
    • For exercise and recreation outdoors, with your household or on your own with one person from another household
    • For medical reasons, appointments and to escape injury or harm
    • To shop for food and essentials
    • To provide care for vulnerable people, or as a volunteer.
  • Workplaces should stay open where people can’t work from home – for example in the construction or manufacturing sectors.
  • Single adult households can still form exclusive support bubbles with one other household, and children will still be able to move between homes if their parents are separated.

A press release on the PM’s statement about the national restrictions in England has been published which outlines some further details on restrictions applicable to tourism. The key points to note are:

  • There is no exemption for staying away from home on holiday. This means people cannot travel internationally or within the UK, unless for work, education or other legally permitted exemptions. Overnight stays away from primary residences will not be allowed, except for specific exceptions including for work.
  • Inbound international travel will continue to be governed by the travel corridor approach, and those currently on a domestic holiday will be allowed to finish their holidays but are still subject to the requirements in England not to go out without a reasonable excuse.

There is also a new guidance page on gov.uk on the changes in England. Of particular note:

  • The Government has ordered certain businesses and venues to close, including:
    • All non-essential retail, including, but not limited to clothing and electronics stores, vehicle showrooms, travel agents, betting shops, auction houses, tailors, car washes, tobacco and vape shops;
    • Indoor and outdoor leisure facilities such as bowling alleys, leisure centres and gyms, sports facilities including swimming pools, golf courses and driving ranges, dance studios, stables and riding centres, soft play facilities, climbing walls and climbing centres, archery and shooting ranges, water and theme parks;
    • Entertainment venues such as theatres, concert halls, cinemas, museums and galleries, casinos, adult gaming centres and arcades, bingo halls, bowling alleys, concert halls, zoos and other animal attractions, botanical gardens;
    • Personal care facilities such as hair, beauty and nail salons, tattoo parlours, spas, massage parlours, body and skin piercing services, non-medical acupuncture, and tanning salons.
  • Food shops, supermarkets, garden centres and certain other retailers providing essential goods and services can remain open. Essential retail should follow COVID-secure guidelines to protect customers, visitors and workers.
  • Non-essential retail can remain open for delivery to customers and click-and-collect.
  • Playgrounds can remain open.
  • Hospitality venues like restaurants, bars and pubs must close, but can still provide takeaway and delivery services. However, takeaway of alcohol will not be allowed.
  • Hotels, hostels and other accommodation should only open for those who have to travel for work purposes and for a limited number of other exemptions which will be set out in law.
  • A full list of the business closures will be published and set out in law.
  • Weddings, civil partnership ceremonies will not be permitted to take place except in exceptional circumstances.
  • All non-essential travel by private or public transport should be avoided. Essential travel includes, but is not limited to:
  1. Essential shopping;
  2. Travelling to work where your workplace is open or you cannot work from home;
  3. Travelling to education and for caring responsibilities;
  4. Hospital GP and other medical appointments or visits where you have had an accident or are concerned about your health.

Financial support 

The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme will be extended until March. Workers in any part of the UK can retain their job, even if their employer cannot afford to pay them, and be paid at least 80% of their salary up to £2500 a month. The flexibility of the current CJRS will be retained to allow employees to continue to work where they can.

Employers small or large, charitable or non-profit are eligible and because more businesses will need to close, they will now be asked to pay just National Insurance and Pensions contributions for their staff during furlough – making this more generous than support currently on offer.

Register now: NatWest North of England Tourism Business Barometer Roundtable, Friday 20 November

Over the last sixteen weeks the NatWest North of England Tourism Business Barometer has taken the temperature of the North’s tourism business environment including shifts in employment, trends in revenue and overall business confidence. The study commenced in mid-July when the UK was emerging out of lockdown and covers a period up to and including the introduction of the government’s three tier alert system in late October.

On behalf of NatWest and our eight DMO partners from across the North of England, Marketing Manchester invites you to join us for a special event at 09:30 on Friday 20 November where we will look at the journey that Northern businesses have undertaken throughout the study period and how we move forward through the challenging winter ahead.

The event will be chaired by Richard Topliss, Chairman of the North Regional Board at NatWest and will include insights from a senior economist, speakers from Marketing Manchester, including Sheona Southern and Nick Brooks-Sykes, as well as input from other DMO leaders and some of the businesses that have contributed to the barometer.

To register, please click here.

Don’t miss: The Future of Marketing Place, TODAY

As the Covid-19 crisis continues, it is becoming more challenging to map out ways in which we can continue to attract visitors and investors to our venues and economic hubs.

On Friday 6 November 2020 at 12:00, four personalities who have the job of navigating their way through these challenges will be joining Frank McKenna from Downtown in Business to discuss their ideas, thoughts and vision of what place marketing will look like in 2021 and beyond.

The panel will include Sheona Southern (Manchester), Chris Brown (Liverpool), Rachael McQueen (Lancashire) and Belinda Eldridge (Leeds), in what promises to be a lively conversation in light of recent events across the North.

To find out more about the event and to register, please click here.

Partner and industry news

Tourism and Hospitality Support Hub

Throughout the Covid-19 crisis the Tourism and Hospitality Support Hub has been available to ensure that tourism and hospitality businesses are given the most up to date information including reopening standards and guidance.

In addition, our colleagues in the Business Growth Hub have launched a new suite of support services specifically aimed at tourism and hospitality businesses who need practical advice at this current time. Anyone who needs specific and detailed support should  contact: supporthub@marketingmanchester.com

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