Coronavirus – Information for Tourism Businesses in Moray Speyside
This page contains up to date details of all COVID-19 related information and guidance for businesses in Moray Speyside.
If you are a visitor looking for COVID-19 information, please check out our COVID-19 Information for visitors
Sign-up to our regular industry newsletter to get the latest updates and information.
- Scottish Government Latest COVID Advice – HERE
Updated Business Guidance – December 16th
Scottish Government have published revised guidance for businesses and workplaces on reducing the risk of COVID-19 and supporting staff and customers.
Protection measures are either mandatory legal requirements to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 or guidance only
The new measures come into effect from 00:01 on Friday 17th December 2021
Mandatory protective measures will be reviewed on a three weekly basis to ensure they remain proportionate.
- Visit the Scottish Government website to access Tourism and Hospitality Guidance
- Access supporting documentation (Test & Protect / Posters etc)
- Download Scottish Government ‘Living Safely’ Stakeholder Toolkit
- Visit Scottish Government website to access updated guidance (general for businesses and employers)
COVID-19 Update December 14th 2021
FIRST MINISTER STATEMENT TUESDAY 14th DECEMBER
Following a Cabinet meeting this morning, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon this afternoon gave an update on additional protections / restrictions which will be introduced to attempt to stem the increase in OMICRON cases in Scotland.
KEY POINTS FROM FIRST MINISTER STATEMENT
- Households asked to limit socialising to three households in social settings at a time in the run-up to Christmas
- Legal requirement on employers to take measures to minimise transmission of virus
- Return to working from home as at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic
- Reintroduction of measures to avoid crowding and bottlenecks, one-way systems etc
- Strong reminders of guidance on contact tracing and check in systems
- Additional £100M for self-isolation fund
- £100M Business Support fund will be targeted towards Hospitality, food supply and culture sector businesses
- Support will come via the existing Strategic Framework Business Fund – FM indicated that eligible businesses will be contacted directly
Scotland Update
Scotland has now moved beyond level zero; however, this does not mean we are out of the woods just yet. While there is now no legal requirement for physical distancing and household caps on gatherings, there are still some baseline measures to help protect us from the virus. These include:
- Continue a high level of hygiene and cleaning practices
- Continue to provide good ventilation in indoor spaces
- Continue the implementation of face coverings
- Continue the use of Test and Protect
- Continue, to some degree, a level of homeworking
Visit Moray Speyside’s Pandemic Support
During the pandemic Visit Moray Speyside worked hard to provide support and assistance to local businesses of all sizes and varieties.
This included regular updates, government roadmaps and timelines, all in a simple, easy to digest format.
For many, government funding was critical for survival during the pandemic. Because of this, Visit Moray Speyside dedicated a significant amount of time and energy into ensuring as many businesses as possible were made aware of funding and assisted many through the application process. Funding included:
- Hospitality Top-Up Payments
- The Strategic Framework Business Fund
- Moray Council’s Discretionary Business Fund
- Grant Support for Larger Self-Catering Properties
- SFBF Payments for Small Accommodation Provider Paying Council Tax
- Moray Council’s Discretionary Business Fund Restart Grants
- Additional SFBF Restart Payments
Visit Moray Speyside will continue to signpost relevant Covid-19 information as we recover from the effects of the pandemic.
Tourism & Hospitality Sector Guidance
The Scottish Government has now issued updated sector guidelines for tourism and hospitality businesses aimed at helping you get ready for opening.
The Guidance is far from exhaustive, but should provide you with the info you need to make sure you’re adhering to the updated requirements for contact tracing, social distancing etc.
Please note that the Guidance is being continually developed so it is likely to change as we go forward.
National Support and Guidance
The Scottish Government’s FIND BUSINESS SUPPORT web page is a good starting point if you are looking for the most up-to-date national information & guidance.
VisitScotland’s Industry Website is similarly useful and provides a wide range of resources, including up to date consumer sentiment research and signposting to webinars and funding information.
Check & Protect
The Check & Protect app by Visit Moray Speyside and the Moray Chamber of Commerce offered a simple, secure way for businesses to record customer contact details. Launched in 2020, it facilitated over 178,000 check-ins across nearly 100 venues. While no longer mandatory after 21st March 2022, the platform remained available through to the end of 2022.
Scottish Tourism Emergency Response Group (STERG)
The Scottish Tourism Emergency Response Group (or STERG) were formed to support tourism businesses as they recover from the Covid-19 pandemic. This includes overcoming present shortfalls and building the industry back stronger and more sustainable in the long term.
This phased plan is a living document which is updated on an ongoing basis, allowing organisations to refocus plans, redirect budget and work through daily issues.
You can download the latest STERG COVID-19 National Action Plan below:
