We hope that you and your families are staying safe and well during these troubling times. There are still so many unknown parameters for the safe re-opening of leisure and hospitality businesses, but once the government release their COVID Secure guidelines specifically for our sector we will be sharing these with you. Those of you with a retail or takeaway offering may already be aware of the guidance that has been released about those businesses HERE. We’re also aware that Visit England is working on both a national domestic marketing campaign and an 'industry standard' COVID Secure accreditation for businesses and will share information about that as soon as we have it.
The Chancellor last week announced some changes to the furlough scheme, which was initially put in place for 4 months starting from 1 March 2020 and will now continue in its current form until the end of July. Employers can use the scheme anytime during this period. From August, employers currently using the scheme will have more flexibility to bring their furloughed employees back to work part time whilst still receiving support from the scheme.
This will run for three months from August through to the end of October. Employers will be asked to pay a percentage towards the salaries of their furloughed staff. The employer payments will substitute the contribution the government is currently making, ensuring that staff continue to receive 80% of their salary, up to £2,500 a month. More specific details and information around its implementation will be made available by the end of May.
We look forward to helping you welcome visitors back to your businesses when it is safe to do so.
Visit Lancashire News & Opportunities
Consumer/Visitor Survey
As we look towards restrictions being eased by the Government and more businesses being allowed to reopen, it is important we understand what potential customers really think about safety measures, what makes a difference to them and where they might plan to go. We will be sending this survey out to all of our visitor database, via our partner organisations and through stakeholder groups to gather as much information as we can. We will feed results back to you, and Government, to help position your businesses in the best way to encourage future visitors with appropriate and valued safety measures in place.
Please share the survey through your own social media channels, staff and via your own customer mailing lists if you can. The more responses we have, the greater understanding we will have of the measures that matter most.
English Tourism Week - Industry specialists Round Table
Do you have a question about funding, promotion, accessing help, moving towards business openings with additional safety measures or anything else? We are hosting a virtual roundtable with leaders from Lancashire’s leisure and hospitality industry as well as representatives from Visit England. Chaired by Marketing Lancashire’s Chief Executive Rachel McQueen who will put your questions to our round table panel and you will be able to view the discussions on MarketingLancashire.com next week.
Send your question to maria@marketinglancashire.comand we will be sure to send you a link to the discussion when it is live.
Free Promotion Opportunity
See you soon, safely.
This week, we are launching our new social media campaign focused on reminding people of all the great venues that we have here in Lancashire, and that we’re ready to welcome visitors back, when it is safe to do so. A simple poster template for you to print and write on your own name, company name or message is available to download here. Then take a photograph of the poster in your venue, within a great landscape, with your product or even with you holding it. Post your picture on social media using #WeAreLancashire and on twitter tag @MarketingLancs too! We will be compiling the images into a ‘see you soon’ film, so please make sure your business is represented.
Free Promotion Opportunity
#TasteLancashire at home, virtual food festival
Our online campaign Taste Lancashire At Home, is designed to showcase Lancashire’s foodie talent and fantastic produce, keeping Lancashire food and drink top of mind. Our fantastic Taste Lancashire Ambassadors will be getting involved with their own favourite dishes and ingredients.
We’re also hosting our regular virtual pub quiz, each one in a new location where you can learn a little about the place.
Find out how you can get involved and raise your profile with the #TasteLancashire campaign here.
Online Webinars and training: Digital Skills, Deep cleaning, and more.
All businesses are having to adapt and for many this includes more promotion and interaction in a digital world.
Similarly, as we look to reopening workplaces and businesses to keep our teams and customers safe, we are going to have to develop new and more rigorous methods of cleaning.
Would you or your team benefit from a webinar or online training on digital skills or deep cleaning? Even if you have staff on furlough, they are still allowed to take training courses to further develop their skills offering a perfect time to develop their knowledge in readiness for a return to work.
Let us know if online training in digital skills, deep cleaning, or indeed anything else, would be of use to you and your team by completing details here.
Partner Information Hub
For general information and business advice regarding COVID-19 please click here
We've launched a #BringLancashireHome campaign on Visit Lancashire. So if you're working to get your messages out in alternative ways please let us know here
See you soon, safely. Get involved with our easy, free campaign to promote Lancashire.
Boost have launched an #AskForHelp campaign will include a dedicated helpline to advise companies in Lancashire about key business-related issues and connect them with experts from the public and private sector.
