Visit England, in partnership with the national tourist organisations of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, has announced a new UK-wide industry standard and consumer mark for the tourism and hospitality sector.
The ‘We’re Good to Go’ mark means businesses can demonstrate that they are adhering to Government and public health guidance, have carried out a COVID-19 risk assessment and checked that they have the required processes in place. It will provide a ‘ring of confidence’ for tourism and hospitality businesses as the sector prepares to reopen from 4 July, following the government announcement on 23 June.
The team at Visit York have warmly welcomed this industry standard and are encouraging all tourism and hospitality businesses to complete the self-assessment online, to gain the certificate and kitemark from Visit England. Businesses will then be able to use the kitemark online and to display it in their premises, to reassure York’s residents and visitors of the clear processes in place, and that Covid-19 health and safety measures set by the government have been met.
The mark will be flexible and adhere to any new future government guidelines, requiring businesses to re-evaluate their safety measures and make relevant changes. Random spot checks will also be conducted to ensure the key elements of the self-assessment are in place.
Sean Bullick, Managing Director of Make It York, said: “This is an important and significant development for the sector, which all tourism and hospitality businesses can apply for, and which will help local businesses to demonstrate that they are operating to a high level of safety, as many get ready to reopen next week.
We want our residents and visitors to feel safe and to be able to enjoy our beautiful city this summer and beyond. This UK-wide industry standard provides a fantastic opportunity for our tourism and hospitality businesses to give people this reassurance and to show the hard work they’ve done to ensure the safety of all as they begin to welcome visitors back. Tourism and hospitality are vital sectors for York and the rebuilding of the local economy, which will be aided by the ‘ring of confidence’ provided by the ‘We’re Good to Go’ initiative.”
Some of the tourism businesses in York have already successfully been awarded the new ‘We’re Good to Go’ industry standard mark, including city’s most well-known attractions like JORVIK Group and Van Gogh Immersive Experience, while others have started the application process.
Sarah Maltby, Director of Attractions for the JORVIK Group, said: “Restoring confidence amongst our potential visitors is a crucial part of re-opening, and we’ve been exploring ways to make our attractions meet and exceed the government’s guidance for several weeks. The new Visit England initiative gives visitors reassurance that we’ve done everything we can to ensure they can visit safely, so before they arrive at JORVIK, Barley Hall or DIG with their prebooked ticket, they can be confident that they won’t be worried about social distancing, hand sanitization and cleaning. It is literally a sign on door and a logo on our website that tells them they will be safe.”
Mark Mattinson, Sales and Marketing Manager for City Cruises York, said: “We are delighted to have applied for this accreditation from Visit Britain, as it will help to further demonstrate to visitors to York that we have introduced stringent hygiene and social distancing measures. It also reinforces our continued focus on passenger experience, safety and confidence.”
To find out more about the ‘We’re Good to Go’ industry standard and consumer mark, follow this link.