COVID-19 Updates – week commencing 01/11/21
More updates of developments from the government and various links to interpretation and guidance.
Go to date:
1 Nov 2021 …
Tourism Alliance update
- Wales To Increase Covid Pass Requirement
After it’s regular Covid review, the Welsh Government has announcement that the country will be remaining at Covid Level Zero for the next three weeks but that they will strengthen protective measures by making the Covid Pass a requirement for entrance to cinemas, theatres and concert halls from 15 November, subject to a debate and vote in the Senedd.
- Supply Chain Issues
In order to better understand problem that tourism businesses are facing regarding Supply Chains issues, DCMS is asking for feedback on any issues that your members are currently experiencing or are expecting to experience over the next few months. Specifically, they are after any evidence, information and examples (including any figures or data) of how supply chain issues are affecting your members, including:
- Energy price impacts
- Semiconductors & chip shortages
- Construction (including materials)
- CO2
- Water treatment & chemicals shortages
- Automotive
- Butchers
- Food & Farming
- Manufacturing
- Warehousing
- Shipping containers & costs
- HGV drivers
- Fuel
- Ports
- Retail
- Labour Market, Apprenticeships & Skills
If you can let Tourism Alliance know of any feedback and evidence that you are getting from your members by next Thursday, I will collate this for DCMS
- International Travel Update
Here’s a link to a Statement from the Transport Secretary to parliament regarding the changes to the Red List and the countries who’s vaccination programmes are recognised by the UK. There is nothing new in it but is does have a handy list on the countries that are being added to the inbound vaccination policy list.
One issue that has come up to be aware of is that although the Inbound Vaccination Policy sates that visitors from these countries “will be treated the same as those vaccinated in the UK”, the test and trace guidance states that the exemption from self-isolation that applies to people fully vaccinated under the NHS vaccination programme does not apply to people who have been vaccinated overseas. I’m trying to get clarification on this at the moment.
https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/international-travel-update
- Updates To CJRS Guidance
While the scheme ended on 30 September, it is important for businesses to be aware that the guidance continues to be updated regarding issues such as when businesses must get a payment reference number and pay HMRC back.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/pay-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme-grants-back
And how to make late claims
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/make-a-late-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme-claim
- Free face Coverings For Transport Operators
As the scheme has been extended to 31 December 2021, DHSC has published a new policy paper on the free facemask scheme for transport operators which includes coach, possibly heritage rail operators, ferries and PHV operators for use by passengers and transport workers.
- R Number and Growth Rate
This week’s R Number and growth Rate are, respectively, 1.1 to 1.3 and +1% to +3%. This almost the same as last week so is not the significant increase that was feared.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-r-value-and-growth-rate
Q2 IPS figures
ONS has published the Q2 IPS figures and they make for pretty grim reading – although it must be recognised that, being for the April – June period, they are while the UK was in Steps 2 and 3 of the Roadmap and there were limited opportunities to fly in or out of the UK. Nevertheless they demonstrate the size of the task in rebuilding the UK’s international tourism industry. The key figures are:
- Overseas residents made 277,000 visits by air to the UK in Quarter 2 (April to June) 2021; this was 97% fewer than Quarter 2 2019 as travel continues to be restricted because of coronavirus (COVID-19).
- Overseas residents spent £386 million on their visits to the UK in Quarter 2 2021; this was 94% less than in Quarter 2 2019.
- UK residents made 1 million visits abroad by air in Quarter 2 2021, which was 95% fewer than Quarter 2 2019, attributable to coronavirus.
- UK residents spent £1,122 million on visits abroad in Quarter 2 2021; this was 93% less than in Quarter 2 2019.
The following is VisitBritain’s analysis of the Q2 IPS figures
- VisitBritain’s Analysis on Q2 IPS Data
During the first half of 2021 (January to June 2021), the IPS survey was operational at UK airports only. In ordinary times surveying would also be conducted at UK tunnel terminals (Eurostar and Eurotunnel) as well as some UK sea ports (e.g. Dover), but this was not possible during this period. Therefore, the data presented below and elsewhere on our website for Q1 & Q2 2021 is for air passengers only and is not comparable with historical UK total data. The comparisons made below compare April-June 2021 air data to April-June 2019 air data only as no equivalent is available for 2020. The sample for this period is very low so extreme caution should be used when interpreting results.
Please find Q2 2021 data below and on our dedicated 2021 quarterly webpage where there is additional detail on year-to-date figures.
Visits, spend and nights (air passengers only)
| Total | Q2 2021 | % change vs. Q2 2019 |
| Visits | 277,000 | -97% |
| Spend | £386 million | -94% |
| Nights | 13.0 million | -78% |
- There were 277,000 inbound visits to the UK in Q2 2021 – down 97% compared to Q2 2019.
- Spend was down 94% on Q2 2019 with visitors spending £386 million in the UK during Q2 2021.
- In total, 13.0 million nights were spent in the UK by inbound visitors during Q2 2021, down 78% on Q2 2019.
- The average spend per visit in Q2, amongst those who departed the UK via an airport was £1,395 (vs £747 in Q2 2019).
Visits and spend by journey purpose (air passengers only)
| Journey Purpose | Visits
Q2 2021 |
% change
vs. Q2 2019 |
Spend
Q2 2021 |
% change
vs. Q2 2019 |
| Holiday | 13,000 | -99.6% | £21 million | -97% |
| VFR | 173,000 | -93% | £156 million | -94% |
| Business | 44,000 | -97% | £74 million | -78% |
| Study | 18,000 | -87% | £91 million | -85% |
| Miscellaneous (Excl. study) | 29,000 | -93% | £44 million | -88% |
- All journey purposes were a fraction of normal levels in Q2 2021. The table above shows the impact that restricted international travel has had on the UK’s inbound holiday visits with just 13,000 visits registered.
- Visits to friends and relatives accounted for the majority of inbound visits in Q2 2021, representing 62% of all inbound visits by air and 40% of spend.
- Study visits were the least impacted in Q2 2021 although visits were still down 86% on two years previous, contributing £91 million to the UK inbound AIR expenditure.
- There were 44,000 business visits in Q2 2021 which accounted for 16% of all visits. Business spend was the least impacted and represented one fifth (19%) of inbound AIR spend.
Visits and spend by global region (air passengers only)
| Total | Visits
Q2 2021 |
% change
vs. Q2 2019 |
Spend
Q2 2021 |
% change
vs. Q2 2019 |
| Total Europe | 183,000 | -96% | £190 million | -92% |
| → EU Total | 157,000 | 97% | £156 million | -92% |
| → EU 15 | 115,000 | -97% | £112 million | -93% |
| → Other EU | 42,000 | -94% | £43 million | -89% |
| → Rest of Europe | 26,000 | -95% | £34 million | -91% |
| North America | 45,000 | -97% | £60 million | -95% |
| Rest of World | 49,000 | -97% | £136 million | -94% |
- Across all regions, AIR visits to the UK were down between 94% and 97% when compared to Q2 2019.
- ‘Other EU’ (which consists of Bulgaria, Estonia, Poland, Romania – amongst others) showed the strongest resilience with visits down 94% and spend down 89% compared to Q2 2019.
- Visits from the EU accounted for 57% of all inbound AIR visits but a smaller 40% of spend during Q2 2021.
- The Rest of World region accounted for 18% of visits but nearly double the proportion of spend (35%), in line with the 2019 trend.
It is worth noting that VisitBritains central scenario forecast for the full year is for 7.4 million visits and £5.3 billion spend.
https://www.visitbritain.org/2021-tourism-forecast
