COVID-19 Hospitality & Tourism Advice

Updated 27 January 2022

The hotels and other guest accommodation guidance has been updated to include guidance about removing the remaining Plan B measures. Please see a summary of the changes below, see the full guidance for more detail.

•  People are no longer legally required to wear face coverings. However, people are still advised to wear them in crowded and enclosed spaces where they may come into contact with people they do not normally meet. Read more about face coverings.
• Venues and events are no longer required by law to check the COVID-19 status of their customers. You can still choose to use the NHS COVID Pass on a voluntary basis. Read more about COVID-19 status checks.

The rules on international travel will change from 11 February. 

• People who are fully vaccinated will not be required to take any COVID-19 tests before or after they travel to England.
• People who do not qualify as fully vaccinated will have to take a pre-departure test and a test on or before day 2 after their arrival, but are no longer required to take a test on day 8. They are no longer required to self-isolate when they arrive, unless their test is positive.

Priority actions

1. Complete a health and safety risk assessment that includes risks from COVID-19. This should consider the points below in the rest of this guidance. It should also take into account any reasonable adjustments needed for staff and customers with disabilities. You should share your risk assessment with your staff. Read about risk assessments.

2. Provide adequate ventilation. Make sure there is an adequate supply of fresh air to enclosed spaces where there are people present. This can be natural ventilation (windows, doors and vents), mechanical ventilation (fans and ducts), or a combination of both. Identify any poorly ventilated spaces that are usually occupied (a CO₂ monitor may help in some cases) and consider how to improve fresh air flow in these areas. Read about ventilation.

3. Clean more often. It’s especially important to clean surfaces that people touch a lot. You should ask your staff and your customers to use hand sanitiser and to clean their hands frequently. Read about cleaning and hygiene.

4. Turn away people with COVID-19 symptoms. Staff members or customers should self-isolate immediately if they show any symptoms of COVID-19 and take a PCR test as soon as possible, even if they are fully vaccinated. If they receive a positive COVID-19 test result, they must complete their full self-isolation period. They must also self-isolate if they are informed by NHS Test and Trace that they are a contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, unless they are exempt (see more on when people need to self-isolate). If you know that a worker is legally required to self-isolate, you must not allow them to come to work. It’s an offence to do this. Read about COVID-19 cases in the workplace.

5. Enable people to check in at your venue. You can choose to display an NHS QR code poster so people can check in at your venue, to help NHS Test and Trace to reduce the spread of the virus. Read about NHS QR codes.

6. Communicate and train. Tell workers and customers how to visit your workplace safely, and keep them updated on your safety measures. Read about communicating with workers and communicating with customers.

You can find out more about coronavirus in Plymouth on the Plymouth City Council website.

Just think 111 first this summer 

As the summer approaches, we’re reaching out to those working in local businesses to help us keep the NHS safe and alleviate the pressure on emergency departments.

The NHS 111 campaign aims to signpost people to one service which can be used for urgent medical advice and it applies both to residents and visitors who are here for the summer.

Download the asset pack here

Coronavirus outbreak business communications toolkit

In the event that your business is affected by COVID-19, good communications will go a long way to support your staff, reassure customers and neighbours, and protect your reputation. This toolkit will help your business take the right steps to recovery. It complements the support that your local public health team will give you on operational matters.

View the toolkit here

Operating during COVID-19

Visit Britain are closely monitoring the COVID-19 outbreak and are working hard to provide you with the very latest information to support your business at this very challenging time. They are feeding in industry concerns to Government via the Tourism Industry Emergency Response Group and will be sharing practical advice as soon as it becomes available, publishing the latest announcements and industry information on their dedicated COVID-19 page. The resources focus on practical guidance to help tourism businesses operate in a COVID-19 Secure way during the pandemic.

Information on emergency funding, including Government support, can be found on our Support for tourism and event businesses during COVID-19 page.

Visit Britain news

This page is dedicated to the latest tourism-related news and tourism for UK tourism businesses on the outbreak of COVID-19, including links to useful information and advice.

COVID-19 Zoos Support Fund

Apply for an animal welfare grant of up to £100,000 for your zoo or aquarium affected by coronavirus (COVID-19).

Find out more on GOV.UK website

Professional Association of Self Catering

The Professional Association of Self Catering is currently 100% focussed on getting Business Support measures from HM Government for self-catering businesses. Any self-catering business can sign up for a free weekly newsletter covering the impacts of COVID-19 on our sector.

Find out more on PASC website.

The best source of information for any visitors with individual questions or health concerns is Public Health England.