THIS weekend will see the reopening of a number of hospitality and tourism businesses in England, but this comes with a long list of conditions.

The two-metre social distancing rule being relaxed to “one metre plus” was met with a sigh of relief as in many cases it is the difference between having a revised viable business model and millions of furloughed staff not having a job to go back to.

The sector was hit hard and has had to wait longer than most to get to a place where it can re-start. The government’s various support measures have provided a lifeline, but there is still a fear that some businesses will fail before they have had the chance to bounce back. Continued support from the Government into next year will be essential to save many jobs in a sector; the third-largest employer in the country.

Unfortunately, those with close proximity venues such as nightclubs, soft play, indoor gyms, swimming pools and spas will have to wait longer and remain closed for now. Taskforces are being established to help them become Covid secure.

The impact of the crisis on consumer confidence is an extremely important consideration for all businesses. In order to help hospitality businesses restore confidence new certification marks have launched – Visit Britain’s “We’re Good To Go” industry standard and the AA’s “Covid Confident” mark.

To obtain the “We’re Good To Go” mark businesses must complete a self-assessment online. Alongside the industry standard, Visit Britain has launched a “Know Before You Go” public information campaign to support tourism in England as businesses start to reopen by empowering consumers to inform themselves before booking a trip.

There is no doubt it will be a steep learning curve for businesses and a very different experience in some cases for customers. Giving your contact details, sitting behind Perspex screens, social distancing police in the beer garden and one-in one-out queues at the loo may hit harder than we expect. However, the sector has shown great resilience to weather the storm so far and we expect it to come out fighting again on July 4.

Call Helen Robinson on 07392-085826 or email helen.robinson@armstrongwatson.co.uk