Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism; and what steps they are taking to mitigate any such impact.
We are regularly assessing Covid-19’s significant impact on the tourism sector.
The Government has implemented a series of Covid-19 related financial measures that are assisting tourism businesses. This includes the significant cut to VAT for tourism and hospitality activities until the end of March, plus business rates relief for eligible retail, leisure and hospitality businesses in England.
Tourism businesses can also continue to make use of the broader support package available to them. This includes the Bounce Back Loans scheme, the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme and the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.
We are continuing to engage across Government and with stakeholders to assess how we can most effectively support the recovery of tourism across the UK.