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As many had been anticipating, the First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, confirmed to the Scottish Parliament yesterday, 22 June, that there will be no further easing of Protection Level restrictions across Scotland for the time-being – with the move to Level 0 being delayed for at least three weeks to allow more time for the vaccine programme roll-out.

Current restrictions had been scheduled to be eased on 28 June, however they will remain in place until 19 July at the earliest. In her statement, Ms Sturgeon also announced, and provided details on, the publication of two important documents – the updated Strategic Framework for tackling COVID-19 in Scotland, and the Review Paper on Physical Distancing restrictions. 

ASVA members should note the following significant changes due to come into place from 19 July, providing the data allows, are:

• Indoor physical distancing requirements – including those at visitor attractions – will be reduced from 2 metres to I metre. This is extremely welcome news for our sector; as members will be all too aware, the impact of  2-metre distancing has been very detrimental to attractions as this restriction prohibits so many sites from operating viably, and ASVA has been lobbying robustly for change on this issue.
• Outdoor physical distancing requirements will be removed completely. There will, therefore, be no requirement to operate with any physical distancing restrictions in any outdoor visitor attraction setting.
• There will be no limits on the number of people who can socialise informally outside
• Indoor restrictions on social gatherings in a public place will move from 8 people from 3 households to 10 people from 4 households

In addition, Ms Sturgeon advised yesterday that, again providing the data allows, Scotland will move ‘beyond Level 0’ on 9 August – the hope is that the remaining rules can be lifted to allow life to return to close to pre-COVID normality.  There will however still be some restrictions in place. Key points that attractions should note are:

• There will be no physical distancing requirements either in indoor or outdoor settings, so attractions will no longer need to ensure physical distancing within their venues.
• Face coverings will still be required in certain settings. This is likely to include indoor visitor attractions, but ASVA is now seeking clarity from the Scottish Government on this.
• Continued compliance with Test & Protect will be required. It is therefore likely that attractions will be required to continue to take contact details from visitors. Again, ASVA is seeking clarity from Scottish Government on this matter.
• Targeted international travel restrictions will remain in place. On this matter, the updated Strategic Framework sets out that international travel restrictions will be in place ‘only for as long as necessary to respond to the threat of importation’ and that these restrictions will be ‘reviewed regularly and relaxed when it is safe to do so’.

Summarising the implications of the details included in the First Minister’s announcement, ASVA CEO Gordon Morrison said: “It is disappointing, but not surprising, to hear that current restrictions will remain in place for another three weeks. This is very significant, as it means that restrictions which prevent many attractions from being able to trade at an economically viable level will still be in place in the summer. As a seasonal industry, this is likely to have major ramifications for the sector when we move into the winter months, as it will not have been possible for many businesses to have built up necessary funds to see them through the off season.

“It is, however, pleasing to see that we are finally seeing some movement on physical distancing. The relaxation of indoor restrictions to 1 metre on 19 July will make a significant difference to the viable operation at a number of attractions, so it’s very good news to see this being introduced. More encouraging still is that we now have clear direction of when and how we will see physical distancing restrictions removed across the board, which is essential for the sector’s recovery prospects.

“Whilst the news yesterday was generally positive, ongoing restrictions on international travel are going to continue to impact heavily on our sector. Many attractions are heavily reliant on international visitors, particularly those in traditional tourist ‘hotspot’ areas, so there will still be significant challenges for much of the sector until these restrictions are lifted.

“With the summer season being impacted by restrictions, it’s abundantly clear that there will be no full recovery possible for attractions in 2020. Recovery measures such as the planned introduction of the ‘Days Out’ incentivisation scheme, to encourage more domestic visitors to attractions in the off-season, will be very important to helping our sector recoup some of our losses in the main season. However, there’s no doubt that many will need additional support to make it through to next season. Our sector is the sector that will lead the full recovery of the tourism industry next year; it is therefore essential that our businesses are given the necessary support to help them make it through another difficult winter.’’

The First Minister’s full statement can be read here.

The Scottish Government’s updated Strategic Framework document published yesterday can be accessed at this link. 

The Review of Physical Distancing paper published by The Scottish Government yesterday can be found here. 

The First Minister announced that on Friday 14 May that, whilst most of mainland Scotland could move into Protection Level 2 on Monday 17 May, and some island communities could move straight into Level 1, Glasgow and Moray Speyside must remain in Level 3 for at least another week due to their high rates of COVID-19 cases.

Travel to and from Glasgow and Moray Speyside is therefore currently prohibited other than for permitted purposes. Visiting an attraction is not classified as a permitted reason. This means that visitor attractions in Glasgow and Moray should not be welcoming visitors from outwith their own Local Authority areas. Attractions in other areas should note too that they should not currently be enabling access to visitors from Glasgow and Moray. Information on Level 3 restrictions, detailing what is and is not possible, is available here.

Targeted financial support is being made available by the Scottish Government for affected businesses in Glasgow and Moray. The funding is being provided to businesses that are specifically impacted – ie. required to either remain closed or continue to operate under Level 3 restrictions but otherwise would have been permitted to open on 17 May had their area moved into Level 2.

Visitor attractions in Glasgow and Moray are eligible for funding support; the criteria for eligibility specifically states attractions are entitled to it. The grants will be paid automatically to businesses, there is no application process. The funding details are as follows:

Glasgow : If you operate a tourism business in Glasgow that the Scottish Government considers to be impacted by travel restrictions but are not specifically required to close or modify your operations by Regulation at Protection Level 3, you are eligible for:

• a one-off grant of up to £500 for properties with a Rateable Value of £51,001 or over; or
• a one-off grant of up to £250 for properties with a Rateable Value up to £51,000 or which pay Council Tax rather than Non-Domestic Rates

Moray : If you operate a tourism business in Moray that the Scottish Government considers to be impacted by travel restrictions but are not specifically required to close or modify its operations by Regulation at Protection Level 3, you are eligible for:

• a one-off grant of up to £1,000 for properties with a Rateable Value of £51,001 or over; or
• a one-off grant of up to £500 for properties with a Rateable Value up to £51,000 or which pay Council Tax rather than Non-Domestic Rates

More details on the funding support can be found here.

ASVA will continue to lobby the Scottish Government for further financial support for those businesses impacted by the latest restrictions. Throughout the pandemic, we have highlighted consistently that the level of financial support for our sector, whilst welcome, has not been at a level to support the sector through to recovery. We will continue to advocate for further support, not just for our members in Glasgow in Moray, but across the country, as it is very clear that there is no full recovery for our industry on the immediate horizon.

Today, a survey has been launched by ASVA and the Moffat Centre for Travel & Tourism , to capture up to date information about current business performance, recovery prospects and confidence levels within the attractions sector. We would urge all ASVA members to complete the survey (which can be found here), as the information gathered from it will be used to inform and shape ASVA’s ongoing lobbying efforts with the Scottish and UK Governments. 

The latest UK Consumer tracker survey conducted by VisitBritain between 19 and 23 April provides a wealth of findings related to tourism and travel.  Overall, the results present evidence of increasing public confidence in planning trips around the country, based on optimism that ‘the worst of the pandemic has now passed’ – stated by two in five UK adults – due in part to the success of the vaccine roll-out.

Of specific relevance to the attractions sector are the results on consumers’ interest in, and engagement with, indoor and outdoor venues and activities.  The results not only reflect public awareness that the risk of COVID-19 infection transmission is at its lowest outside, but also highlight the degree of caution that exists regarding indoor public spaces. The key points were that:

• Most likely to attract fewer visitors/engagement than normal are ‘predominantly indoor attractions’, followed by ‘catering, entertaining and events’, then ‘health or wellbeing activities’.
• Most likely to attract more visitors/engagement than normal are ‘outdoor areas’, followed by ‘outdoor leisure or sports activities’, then ‘outdoor attractions’.
• Engagement levels for outdoor areas and activities have dipped since the last wave of COVID-19, although they continue to generate positive levels of intent.

VisitScotland’s summary of the survey’s Scottish findings highlight how many people intend to take holidays in Scotland or make trips throughout the country. The summary notes that:

• One in seven UK and Scottish adults anticipate taking an overnight trip in the UK in spring. Of those planning to take a trip, 62% of Scottish residents plan to take their overnight break in Scotland in spring, with 60% planning a summer (July – September) break.
• Many Scottish residents are only considering Scotland as their destination from now until the end of summer. The next most loyal audiences for choosing Scotland are those in the north of England, in particular the north west.
• Around two in five (42%) people who intend to travel in Scotland in spring currently planning their trip, and just over a third having booked it.
• One in four (26%) have started planning their summer trip with one in five (21%) having booked it. Generally, there’s still a tendency for people to be planning further ahead than normal but booking significantly closer to the travel date (though this may be different for certain types of accommodation in specific locations with high demand).
• The Highlands is the number one destination for both Scots and UK residents. The west coast is noticeably more popular for Scottish residents, while Edinburgh is more of a draw for non-Scots, amongst whom it is the second most popular destination (almost three times more popular than amongst Scots). 

You can read VisitScotland’s summary of the Scottish findings of the UK Consumer tracker survey here. The complete survey findings can be accessed here.

Our colleagues at The Association of Leading Visitor Attractions have shared with ASVA the findings of the latest research commissioned by ALVA into visitor sentiment. The research was carried out by insight-led consultancy Decision House to gauge the views of the public on visits to re-opening venues. The key findings of the study, carried out at the end of April, were that :

• Since early March there has been a further very strong positive shift in appetite for visiting attractions when they re-open. In particular, much of the large ‘stubbornly cautious’ segment is now at least beginning to consider visiting attractions.

• With visit appetite now way higher than at the point when attractions re-opened in 2020, we might expect higher demand than last year – particularly once the ‘wait and see’ segment are reassured on safety.

• Although still lower among those aged 55 or over, visit appetite has grown significantly across all age groups since early March and regional differences have disappeared.

• Even with the perceived success of the vaccine rollout and continued declining infection rates however, there is a lingering nervousness about the visit attraction experience when returning to visit – particularly around crowds and distancing.

• Three-quarters of the attractions-visiting public are not yet ready to remove Covid-19 safety measures, especially those focused on distancing.

• Once vaccines have been fully rolled out to the population, there is notable support for some form of ‘proof of vaccination or exemption’ to gain entry to attractions, particularly indoor venues.

Bernard Donoghue, Director of ALVA, comments: “The research carried out for us by Decision House is hugely valuable. It will assist attractions planning or managing their re-opening and help them to take account of the views of their visitors, particularly before relaxing or ending distancing or other mitigation measures – there is clearly a lot of caution about abandoning these too early. 

“We have been very pleased to fund and commission this research, first undertaken this week a year ago, and to provide it free of charge to all those working in the sector.”

ASVA Chief Executive Gordon Morrison adds: “We are grateful to ALVA for once again sharing these very useful insights with us. The findings reflect what we are hearing from our conversations with ASVA members. Those that have re-opened are reporting consistently that visitors are responding very positively when on site, however visitor numbers remain stubbornly low, particularly at indoor venues.  

“ASVA will be reaching out to members in the next few weeks to collect data on re-opening in order for us to inform key stakeholders, including the Scottish Government, about the ongoing impact of COVID-19 on our industry and the need for further financial support. I would respectfully ask all members to take part in this crucial data gathering exercise.’’

The full research report is available here.

As advised earlier this week, the Scottish Government released updated guidance earlier this week for the collection of Customer and Visitor Contact details.
 
As a reminder, the key points that members should note are:

• It is not mandatory for visitor attractions to take contact details for all visitors, but it is advised. The official guidance states: ‘Collecting contact details is voluntary, but it is important that both premises and individuals cooperate, as it is crucial to national efforts to suppress the virus’. Members should be cognisant of this and, where possible, look to continue to support the national efforts to suppress the virus.
• It is mandatory however to collect details from anyone using hospitality settings in your attraction. In practice, this means if your attraction has a café or restaurant, you must either collect contact details from everyone upon entry into your attraction, or from everyone upon entry into your café/restaurant.  
• In contrast to last year’s test & protect guidelines, the Scottish Government is now requesting that contact details be taken for every visitor, not just a ‘lead’ person.
• The following data is to be collected from each visitor to your café/restaurant/other hospitality setting:
  • The name of each visitor
  • A contact phone number for each individual
  • Date of visit and arrival and, where possible, departure time.
  • If a customer does not have a telephone number, premises may give people the option to provide a postal address or an email address 

Following the publication of the guidance, ASVA contacted the Scottish Government to seek clarification on whether data from children also needed to be collected in hospitality settings (i.e. for any children entering an attraction’s café or restaurant). The Scottish Government has provided ASVA with the following response:
In hospitality settings, the collecting of data from all members of a party, including children is encouraged. The legal position is that the establishment is legally bound to collect, and legally bound to provide, if asked, details from a lead member of each household attending the premises. This applies regardless of the age of the lead member of the household. As an example, if a family took an unaccompanied child from a different household, they would need to provide their details, and if the establishments did not take these details, then the establishment is in breach. The breach is by the establishment – not the individual.  In all circumstances of course an individual can opt not to provide any contact details, but they should them not be admitted to your establishment.

This update means that, in the majority of cases, where a family is visiting an attraction’s café or restaurant, they would not have to provide details of minors. However, if for instance a group of three 14 year olds were to visit your café together, each should be asked for their contact details as they are from three different households.

The Scottish Government has also confirmed that where a child needs to be contacted, as a result of Test & Protect, the Test & Protect team would look to contact the parent/guardian first.   

The update also clarifies the position on collecting data from everyone visiting your café/restaurant. Whilst the guidance is that you should collect data from all visiting, the actual regulations are that only contact details from a lead person from each household are required (and again, please bear in mind it is only mandatory to collect this data in a hospitality setting, such as your café or restaurant). 

In terms of data collection, we would remind members of the Check In Scotland App. To help attractions meet their responsibilities with the new Test & Protect guidance, we would recommend the use of this app. It is, however, entirely up to attractions to make their own decisions about how they take visitor details and, indeed, whether they will take all visitors details, or just those using their hospitality facilities.

As many Scottish attractions prepare to welcome back visitors from Monday, we can reveal that the findings of our latest survey – conducted in partnership with the Moffat Centre For Travel & Tourism Business Development – highlight the extremely harsh realities our sector faces in re-opening and just how challenging its recovery will be.

The survey was sent out in the middle of April to 688 visitor attractions across Scotland, with a total of 342 surveys completed, providing us with very robust data.  A big thank you to all of you that participated, it is incredibly important to ASVA’s lobbying efforts that we have access to such robust data.  

The key results are:

• 78.7% of the sector either intends to open at some point in 2021 or is already open
• 12.6% of the sector does not anticipating opening at all this year
• Of the attractions that have re-opened or will be re-opening, 55.8% will be open by the end of April 2021.  A further 20.8% will be open by the end of May
• Of the 78.7% that are re-opening, fewer than 1 in 3 (27.1%) will be fully opening
• Two thirds of the sector (65.4%) will be partially opening, with either reduced hours, weekends only or with some facilities closed
• Of the two thirds of the sector partially re-opening, over 80% are unable to provide a date for when they think they will be able to fully re-open
• Encouragingly, more than half of respondents (55.8%) stated that, once open, they intend to remain open for the rest of the year, thus extending the season 

It is encouraging that these findings indicate that the majority of the sector will be re-opening, however it is very concerning to learn that more than 1 in 10 attractions do not feel that it is possible to open this year.  It is equally, if not more concerning, that two thirds of the sector do not feel they will be in a position to fully open, with the majority stating that they will be forced to operate at reduced hours to keep costs down.

When viewed alongside the previous ASVA/Moffat Centre survey conducted in March to analyse recovery prospects for the sector, it is clear that the majority of attractions cannot fully open because it will not be economically viable to do so.  Results from the March survey highlighted that the continuation of 2m physical distancing will have economic consequences for the majority of our sector, with 54% of attractions either forced to remain closed or losing money when they do open as a result of the 2m distancing restriction.

As members will be aware, ASVA has been lobbying the Scottish Government robustly on this key issue and calling for the distancing restriction to be reduced to 1m at attractions in line with hospitality businesses.  As we highlighted in our last e-update, our meeting on Monday with the Deputy National Clinical Director, Dr John Harden, enabled us to emphasis the economic impact 2m distancing has and our latest survey findings were invaluable in equipping us to do this.  Noting all of the insights we provided, Dr Harden assured us he fully recognised the challenges faced by the attractions sector at present.  He also conveyed how impressed he was by the mitigating measures it has in place, and commended attractions for the approach they have taken towards visitor and staff safety.  Furthermore he provided assurances that 2m restrictions for our sector will be removed in the near future, just as soon as the relevant positive data comes in to provide proof that it is safe to do so.

Both the March and April surveys highlight the vulnerable position that many our sector are going to be in this year.  There can be no doubt that there will need to be continued, ongoing government financial support for considerable parts of the sector this year and we will continue to do everything in our power to secure this.

The results of the latest survey have been shared with the Scottish Government, VisitScotland, the Enterprise Agencies and other key stakeholder.

The report for April also contains a useful list of attractions that are reopening with dates of opening. We hope that members find this useful to help you align with other attractions in your area.

You can find the report here. It has also been added to the Statistic Reports and Research section of the Members Area of the ASVA website, where you will also find the results from the survey in March (and all previous survey results).

Whilst we are pleased that indoor attractions are being allowed to re-open on 26 April, ASVA remains very concerned about the impact of 2m physical distancing requirements.  As members will be aware we have been lobbying the Scottish Government on this key issue and calling for distancing restrictions at attractions to be reduced from 2m to 1m, in line with hospitality businesses.

This week our Chair, Susan Morrison, and CEO, Gordon Morrison, were pleased to meet with the Deputy National Clinical Director, Dr John Harden, organised to discuss what mitigating measures need to be put into place to ensure 1m distancing can be safely managed.

The meeting gave ASVA an excellent opportunity to emphasise the economic impact on the sector of 2m distancing – including the vital fact that 1 in 10 attractions will not be able to re-open under 2m distancing restrictions. Stressing the importance of the attractions industry to the recovery of tourism in Scotland, we revealed that 45% of our sector will not be able to trade at an economically viable level for as long as this restriction remains in place.

In addition, Gordon and Susan highlighted to the Deputy National Clinical Director the contribution that attractions make to public health and their importance to community wellbeing and involvement – providing a sense of place, generating civic pride, attracting local groups and families, educating, and hosting community activities.  We also detailed the opportunities that attractions offer to support mental health, providing places for people to visit and enjoy and enriching experiences.

During the meeting, Gordon and Susan discussed the impact of 2m distancing on capacities at attractions, and the inability for individual businesses, as well as the sector as a whole, to recover whilst these restrictions continue.  We also provided information on all the mitigating measures in place at attractions to reduce virus transmission, including timed ticketing, one-way routes, increased staff presence and enhanced cleaning protocols.

They also highlighted the illogical anomalies that currently exist due to the difference in distancing requirements for the hospitality and attractions sectors. Gordon advised Dr Harden that it is difficult to explain to visitors and staff why visitors can enter a café within an attraction and sit 1m apart from other patrons – without wearing a face covering – for a significant period of time but as soon as they leave the café, they have to ensure they remain 2m away from anyone, despite the fact that they are moving about (so there is limited dwell time) and are wearing face coverings.

Dr Harden noted all of the information and insights provided and made it clear that he fully recognised the challenges faced by the attractions industry at present. The Deputy Clinical Director also stressed how impressed he was by the mitigating measures our sector has in place, and he commended attractions for the approach they have taken towards visitor and staff safety.  

In terms of the 1m rule for hospitality, Dr Harden made it clear that this was introduced to allow people to be able to sit at a table together.  He emphasised that households had to remain 1m apart at their tables, and that when they rise from the table, they should put on face coverings and observe normal distancing rules.  The only reason the 1m dispensation was given for hospitality, he pointed out, was because it was unworkable for patrons to be able to sit at a table with 2m distancing.

Dr Harden advised that it was not yet possible to recommend a move from 2m to 1m distancing in attractions as the current data does not support it.  In response to Gordon and Susan asking when the evidence might support this move, he said:  “Test events are being run across the UK at present.  We will review the data and research from these test events and this will inform decision-making about our future easing of restrictions”. 

Dr Harden also noted that 2m restrictions for our sector would be removed as soon as it is safe to do so; he made it clear that he, like everyone else, wants to see things get back to normality as soon as the data allows.  To provide a note of optimism for our sector, he stated that the restriction could be relaxed quickly once the relevant positive data comes in.

Whist it is frustrating that the attractions sector must stay at 2m for the immediate term, the meeting served a purpose as it confirmed to ASVA that the sector cannot do any more in terms of mitigating measures, and we are doing everything that will be required if we are to see the relaxation of distancing restrictions.  The meeting also ensured that our sector is’ front of mind’ for the Scottish Government with regards to decisions on distancing restrictions being eased, and it provided assurances that we should see positive developments in the near future, data permitting.

The Scottish Government released updated guidance yesterday for the collection of Customer and Visitor Contact details.

The key points that members should note are:

• It is not mandatory for visitor attractions to take contact details for all visitors, but it is advised. The official guidance states: ‘Collecting contact details is voluntary, but it is important that both premises and individuals cooperate, as it is crucial to national efforts to suppress the virus’. Members should be cognisant of this and, where possible, look to continue to support the national efforts to suppress the virus.
• It is mandatory however to collect details from anyone using hospitality settings in your attraction. In practice, this means if your attraction has a café or restaurant, you must either collect contact details from everyone upon entry into your attraction, or from everyone upon entry into your café/restaurant.  
• In contrast to last year’s test & protect guidelines, the Scottish Government is now requesting that contact details be taken for every visitor, not just a ‘lead’ person.
• The following data is to be collected from each visitor to your café/restaurant/other hospitality setting:
  • The name of each visitor
  • A contact phone number for each individual
  • Date of visit and arrival and, where possible, departure time.
  • If a customer does not have a telephone number, premises may give people the option to provide a postal address or an email address

In terms of data collection, ASVA members will be aware that we have been promoting the Check In Scotland App in these updates since it was launched. To help attractions meet their responsibilities with the new Test & Protect rules, we would recommend the use of this app. It is however entirely up to attractions to make their own decisions about how they take visitor details and, indeed, whether they will take all visitors details, or just those using their hospitality facilities.  

For info, ASVA has asked the Scottish Government for clarity on whether data needs to be collected for child visitors as it is not clear at present if there is a ‘cut-off age’ for data collection. We recognise that there could be significant challenges with requesting the data of young people and have advised the Scottish Government of this. We will provide an update on this issue via this channel as soon as we have official clarification of requirements and recommendations.

Finally, concerning booking systems, the Scottish Government is strongly advising organisations to ensure they update their booking systems so that these can collect details of all visitors. It is fully understood, however, that it is unlikely that any changes will be able to be put in place ahead of re-opening.  Where tickets have been sold already, and only the details of a lead contact member have been collected, we have been assured there is no requirement to contact this group retrospectively for the details of all visitors.

For the updated guidance on Test & Protect in visitor attractions and other sectors, please click here.

The First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, announced yesterday (20^th April) that the planned relaxation of current restrictions planned from 26 April will go ahead and Scotland will move to Level 3 on Monday. The First Minister also outlined that Scotland will move to Level 2 on 17 May if cases continue to fall, and the plan is for the country to then enter Level 1 on 7 June.

The statement by MS Sturgeon confirmed that all indoor attractions are allowed to re-open from Monday, as are all public buildings such as galleries, museums and libraries and all shops. Hospitality venues can open until 8pm indoors (without alcohol) and 10pm outdoors where, subject to local licensing alcohol can be consumed. Numbers permitted at weddings, wakes and funerals increase from 20 to 50 people.

The other important development for our sector is that restrictions on travel are also being eased from 26 April to allow travel across Scotland and between Scotland, England and Wales. Restrictions on travel to and from Northern Ireland are also being lifted.

Ms Sturgeon also advised that rapid, lateral flow COVID-19 tests are urged for anyone planning to travel to the islands. International travel remains restrictions for non-essential travel remain in place until 17 May at least.

Tourist accommodation can re-open from Monday, however in self-catering the rules on indoor meetings (up to 6 people from a maximum of two households).

Concluding her statement, the First Minister said: “The changes that will come into force on Monday, building on the changes we have had in the last couple of weeks, have been really hard earned and long awaited.  So it is really important that as we enjoy these new restored freedoms we continue to be really careful and take all of the required precautions.

The full statement by the First Minister’s full statement can be read here.

ASVA has been consulting with the Scottish Government on a number of key issues regarding the reopening of the sector. One of these issues is whether samples of alcoholic beverages will be permitted within distillery/brewery experiences when the sector can re-open on 26^th April. We are very pleased to confirm that, following lobbying by ASVA, supported by the Scotch Whisky Experience and Diageo, the Scottish Government has confirmed that samples of alcohol can be served as part of a tour experience in a drinks based attraction from 26^th April. The guidance from the Scottish Government is that the samples must be served as a distinctive part of the tour experience and incorporated into the ticket price. It should not be possible for visitors to buy any additional alcoholic beverages to be consumed during the experience on top of the samples provided as part of the tour.  Whilst being served, all physical distancing and hygiene protocols must be followed.

On Tuesday, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced further easing of the current restrictions on travel throughout the country.  

From tomorrow, Friday 16 April, travel within Scotland for outdoor socialising, recreation and exercise will be allowed.  The relaxation of restrictions means that any outdoor attractions that are already open will be able to welcome visitors from across Scotland, with all relevant mitigations in place. 

Data permitting, the whole of Scotland, including all of our island communities, will be in Level 3 from Monday 26 April.  This means that non-essential travel between the mainland and islands, as well as between Scotland, England and Wales will be permitted, re-opening a much larger market for our sector. 

Indoor attractions now have a much firmer assertion that they can open again on, or from, 26 April.  It has also been confirmed that tourist accommodation can open from this date.

Another important change to the rules which comes into effect tomorrow is that outdoor meetings in groups of up to six adults from up to six households will be allowed, with under-12s not counting towards this limit. 

In her announcement, the First Minister advised that the easing of restrictions has been brought forward as a result of significant progress in reducing the number of new COVID cases in Scotland, partly due to the success of the vaccination programme, but also because so many people have stuck so well to the rules.  Daily cases are at the lowest level since September and have declined more than 85% since early January.  Ms Sturgeon urged caution, as restrictions are relaxed, to protect against resurgence of COVID-19, advising that people should take care to plan ahead with journeys and follow the FACTS advice when out and about.

Whilst ASVA welcomed news of the easing of restrictions and the impact this will have on our sector, we remain very concerned about the effect of 2 metre physical distancing at attractions.  A requirement of 2m distancing will make it impossible for many attractions to open viably on 26 April so we are continuing to lobby the Scottish Government on this key issue. Further details on our efforts to get distancing restrictions reduced can be found below, in the article ‘Scottish Tourism Emergency Response Group discusses distancing’.  

To read the First Minister’s full statement on the easing of restrictions, click here.

The updated Strategic Framework Protection Level tables showing the route map for future easing of restrictions can be viewed at this link.