Month: April 2020
DCMS Select Committee Inquiry deadline extended to 19 May 20 correction JUNE
Correction
Since publishing this note this AM it has been pointed out the extension is to 19 June, which radically alters the context of the note below and indeed sadly the core purpose of my intended submission; essentially to major on the consequences to a highly seasonal industry of not achieving a degree of normality by the peak summer holiday month July to September and the need for protracted support if, as seems increasingly likely this can’t be achieved. We/I need to rethink how we might help amplify those messages, before it is too late to influence policy direction. By mid June firm decisions impacting on the tourist industry in July and beyond will surely have already been made? Apologies for any inadvertent confusion created.
Original reads:
Many thanks for the comments, suggested additions, tweaks to tone and emphasis and of course much needed corrections received so far, all of which will help make the submission much “butter” sorry better, since I shared my rough draft on Tuesday evening.
Yesterday, 29th April, the DCMS Select Committee extended the deadline from 1 to 19 May 20, giving me and those of you intending to submit directly, considerably longer to refine the content.
It does mean that we will need to carefully monitor both the situation on the ground and any announcements on proposed Government actions. Critically we are expecting the PM’s announcements on the principles behind any proposed relaxation of lockdown in the next few days. These are not expected to be radically different from, or much more detailed than, those already made public by the devolved Governments.
This assumption may of course prove to be wrong and we may get very clear guidance, potentially including critical planning assumptions like timelines, processes and “rules and requirement” by sectors? Whatever is said will be headline news on the day and analysed to death everywhere thereafter, so it will not be easily missed by any of us.
Any further comments you may have on the original draft would still be very welcome. I may or may not share the final draft late next week or early the week after; depending on the feedback I get on the need to recirculate. Views please.
DCMS Select Committee Inquiry deadline extended to 19 May 20 correction JUNE
Correction
Since publishing this note this AM it has been pointed out the extension is to 19 June, which radically alters the context of the note below and indeed sadly the core purpose of my intended submission; essentially to major on the consequences to a highly seasonal industry of not achieving a degree of normality by the peak summer holiday month July to September and the need for protracted support if, as seems increasingly likely this can’t be achieved. We/I need to rethink how we might help amplify those messages, before it is too late to influence policy direction. By mid June firm decisions impacting on the tourist industry in July and beyond will surely have already been made? Apologies for any inadvertent confusion created.
Original reads:
Many thanks for the comments, suggested additions, tweaks to tone and emphasis and of course much needed corrections received so far, all of which will help make the submission much “butter” sorry better, since I shared my rough draft on Tuesday evening.
Yesterday, 29th April, the DCMS Select Committee extended the deadline from 1 to 19 May 20, giving me and those of you intending to submit directly, considerably longer to refine the content.
It does mean that we will need to carefully monitor both the situation on the ground and any announcements on proposed Government actions. Critically we are expecting the PM’s announcements on the principles behind any proposed relaxation of lockdown in the next few days. These are not expected to be radically different from, or much more detailed than, those already made public by the devolved Governments.
This assumption may of course prove to be wrong and we may get very clear guidance, potentially including critical planning assumptions like timelines, processes and “rules and requirement” by sectors? Whatever is said will be headline news on the day and analysed to death everywhere thereafter, so it will not be easily missed by any of us.
Any further comments you may have on the original draft would still be very welcome. I may or may not share the final draft late next week or early the week after; depending on the feedback I get on the need to recirculate. Views please.
Lifeguards and other beach management issues
This morning the BBC news has been covering a campaign to gather support for lifeguards, many of whom have be laid off or not employed under seasonal contracts and due to individual circumstance are or may not be covered by the main employment support mechanisms. RLNI, the largest single provider of lifeguards, suspended (all?) UK lifeguard services on 26 March. Those areas that do not use RLNI staff have tackled the issues of provision and of seasonal staff in different ways, dependent on local conditions and circumstances. I am aware that there are concerns about the provision of staff in the longer term and some contingency planning around how to manage both beaches access and lifeguard provision during any future relaxation of social distancing and lock-down.
If you have any issues you wish to discuss with colleagues or that you wish to have raised with Government departments please let me know.
I am still trying to get firm guidance on dog bans on bathing beaches (in England). It has been confirmed by Defra that the dog bans are a stipulation of the beach awards system and not a legal requirement of the bathing water legislation. Ultimately it is therefore a matter for the local bathing water controller to decided, if the seasonal ban on dogs (usually applied in or from 1 May) are enforced. I am now trying to get some guidance on how that will impact on beach awards, if indeed it is regarded as relevant, in the current circumstances.
DCMS Select Committee Inquiry 1 May 20
It is a little over 10 days since I alerted you to the above inquiry and now 1 week to the deadline for submission. I have had very few comments specifically on the inquiry but plenty of general ammunition since lock-down took effect 1 month ago. I will attempt to send a draft or at least a synopsis out hopefully on Monday for member’s information and comment. The intent is to focus largely on what I believe to be the key issue: the natural and institutional seasonality of the bulk of the domestic tourism industry and therefore the additional severity of the lost trade to date, that includes Easter, and the narrow and narrowing opportunity to generate sufficient revenue especially in the c July to September peak summer holiday period in order to sustain businesses (the industry as a whole) through the lean off peak months of c November to February. I appreciate there are many other issues and detailed problems, some of which I will inevitably have to touch on. My instinct is that many of these issues are common to all industry and to DCMS sectors, what I want to do is highlight the more unique and potentially less publicly obvious problem our sector is experiencing. The call for evidence and critically the guidance note on the nature of the submissions can be accessed at:
https://committees.parliament.uk/call-for-evidence/113/impact-of-covid19-on-dcms-sectors/
You will probably be aware that there is tourism All-Party Parliamentary Group on hospitality and tourism inquiry taking place and closing on the same day. The official DCMS select committee should be our priority but there is not good reason why we or indeed you yourselves shouldn’t submit much the same or similar material to both:
For coastal members 2020 Bathing Season
Colleagues within UKBMF have posed a couple of interesting question regarding the looming start of the 2020 bathing season on 1 May. I have passed the questions on to colleagues in Defra, Tidy Britain Group and EA within England and I am awaiting answers. I understand that there is a high-level stakeholder meeting next week and hopefully we may get some guidance from that. To my mind issue around whether tests should commence, signage and dog bans be implemented etc. should be directed from a national level, albeit that you then at local level should have the final say as to whether to implement things like dog bans, while beaches are effectively closed to all but locals. Leaving it entirely to local discretion is a recipe for national confusion particular when the current restriction begin to be lifted.
A much bigger issue may develop when the lockdown begins to be relaxed and visitor inevitably start to return. Going from lockdown to normality over an as yet unspecified period with as yet unspecified checks and balances is going to take considerable local planning, management and control. It will also involve some careful consideration around issues like when it becomes appropriate to reintroduce life-guarding and when you switch from a please don’t visit to a please do visit mode in terms of marketing messages. Issues experienced all around the UK coast during the early phases of lockdown suggest that beaches and open coastal spaces are likely to be a particular draw to visitors, even whilst elements social distancing remains in place.
If you have any thoughts on the issues involved with the looming start of the bathing season, with the subsequent relaxation of current restrictions, or any other points that you wish to see raised with Defra or the Welsh Government or indeed anyone else regarding bathing waters, the bathing seasons or beach management then please let me know.
Call for evidence -Impact of Covid-19 on DCMS sectors
The DCMS Select Committee has issued a call for written evidence on the impact of Covid-19 on all sectors under DCMS stewardship, with an initial closing date of 1 May 20.
Although not specifically targeted at tourism, this inquiry’s questions gives an opportunity for the tourism sectors to illustrate the impacts, thus far, to comment on the actions of DCMS and DCMS sponsored arms-length bodies, to make the case for further support during the current and potentially extended lock-down and to outline any additional support that may be needed in what increasing seems likely to be a protracted recovery period.
British Destination will submit a response, with an emphasis on the domestic market, based on the information already gleaned from the membership and any addition comments and information that you may now wish to provide. In addition, some member destinations may want to submit evidence to the committee themselves.
See the call for evidence at: https://committees.parliament.uk/call-for-evidence/113/impact-of-covid19-on-dcms-sectors/
Covid-19 update AM 8 April 20
Yesterday 7 April, DCMC announced a Destination Management Resilience Scheme for England, a repurposing of £1.3m Discover England Fund monies, to be administered by VB/VE. The scheme is designed to support DMO who receive at least 50% of their revenue from commercial activities and will allow payment of up to two essential staff members who might otherwise have to be furloughed and a potential grant of up to £5k. The scheme is likely to be oversubscribed so those who think they may be eligible are urged to seek further guidance ASAP: https://www.visitbritain.org/coronavirus-covid-19-destination-management-resilience-scheme.
Can I remind you we are urgently seeking updates from you on the impacts on your destination’s businesses, on your own organisations ability to manage the destination, resilience plans and emerging recovery planning. With regard to the latter, it would be extremely helpful to understand what assumptions you are currently using (what they are based on/where have they come from) and critically what reasonable direction from the centre would now help you in that initial recovery planning. That might seem like a blindingly obvious set of questions but in the apparent (?) absence of hard and fast direction to you, I am trying to assess what assumptions you had to make and therefore by inference the critical path and pointers you will need along it.
British Destinations