TA Weekly Update (9th March 2023) | BTA Report

 
To read the new study ‘Understanding the benefits of business travel and in-person meetings’ commissioned by The BTA to CBI Economics, please ;
* Press release – here
* Full report – here

* Members’ Weekly Update In this update…9th March 2023
* Two weeks today – Conference and Reception English Tourism Week toolkit now live
* Government will roll ETAs out to Qatari travellers from October
* Employers’ right to work checks – Updates
* Help to Grow portal
* WTTC launches Hotel Sustainability Basics verification scheme    

Two weeks today – Conference and Reception
Two weeks today we will be welcoming you to Tourism Insights Conference and English Tourism Week Parliamentary Reception.

We’ve had a real rush of ticket sales in the last week, but there are some still available.

If you have not yet done so, book now to secure your place as tickets are limited.

As a reminder the speakers we have lined up are:
* Nejc Jus, Head of Research at the World Travel & Tourism Council, will be speaking on the topic of “World in Motion: Global Travel Insights.”
* Linda Ristagno from IATA will be joining us to talk to “Nose-dive and recovery? Is global aviation back on the right flight path?
* Justin Reid from TripAdvisor will be speaking on the topic of “UK Tourism – is it ok to peek out from behind the Covid sofa yet?”
* David Edwards from ETOA and Scattered Clouds will talk on “OK-UK? A long-haul journey through time: past, present and future.”
* Richard Nicholls from VisitBritain will discuss “Domestic and Inbound Performance and Prospects” and will in particular talk about GBTS and GBDVS data
* Mike Saul from Barclays will be telling us what they are seeing with consumer behaviour – are they spending on holidays or saving their money? A panel of DMO reps will also talk about destination insights and data in their local areas.

All TA members, and all organisations within your membership, are welcome to join us at the member rate and all delegates are welcome to join us afterwards at our annual English Tourism Week Parliamentary Reception, 3pm-5pm in the Terrace Pavilion, House of Commons. 

Sponsorship opportunities are also available for TA members and non-members, both for the conference and the Parliamentary Reception.   Book your ticket now   Download sponsorship pack    

English Tourism Week toolkit now live

VisitEngland have launched their English Tourism Week Toolkit.

As a reminder English Tourism Week runs from Friday 17th to Sunday 26th March 2023.

You can access the toolkit, which includes a range of assets such as logos, graphics, templates, posters, and presentations on the VE Website.

For any activity taking place during the week remember to use the hashtag: #EnglishTourismWeek23     

Government will roll ETAs out to Qatari travellers from October The Home Office have released some details of the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme which has been planned for some time. Inbound travellers from Qatar will be the first to require an ETA followed by the rest of the GCC and Jordan from February 2024.

The cost has still to be revealed but the Home Office promises that it will be “in line with similar international schemes” and will have a validity of two years (compared to three years for the EU ETIAS scheme).

Disappointingly, the Home Office is still insisting that non-UK and Irish travellers entering Northern Ireland via Ireland will need an ETA. Our sister organisation, the Northern Ireland Tourism Alliance, has been campaigning for against this as a large proportion of NI’s tourists come via the the Republic, and the island is marketed internationally on a whole-island basis by Tourism Ireland.    

Employers’ right to work checks – Updates
You may be interested in some changes that have introduced to the ‘Employer’s guide to right to work checks’ which the Home Office have asked to to share with you. You can access the guide via:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/right-to-work-checks-employers-guide
 
The most significant updates relate to:
* clarification on the use of Identity Document Validation Technology (IDVT) and Identity Service Providers (IDSPs) to support employers conducting manual document-based, and Home Office online checking service, right to work checks.
* the use of “Reusable Identities” for checks involving the use of IDSPs (Annex C, Appendix A).
* end of the COVID-19 temporary adjusted checks on 30 September 2022. changes to enable some individuals with an outstanding, in-time application for permission to stay in the UK, or an appeal, or Administrative Review (3C leave) to prove their right to work using the Home Office online checking service.
* confirmation that Re-Admission to the UK (RUK) endorsements are an acceptable document for the purposes of manual document-based right to work checks (List A, no. 4).
* information on sponsored work and student categories (Annex B).
* information on short-dated Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs). Information on the ‘Employment of Ukraine nationals’ is now solely contained within guidance under Annex D.    



The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has launched a new website for businesses to access information and support to :
* Learn new skills
* Reach more customers
* Boost business profits All available at https://helptogrow.campaign.gov.uk/    

WTTC launches Hotel Sustainability Basics verification scheme
The World Travel and Tourism Council has launched a new scheme to “enable tourist accommodation providers from around the world, regardless of their size, to begin their sustainability journey.”

There are twelve actions which they say are the basic requirements on the journey towards more complex sustainability policies. WTTC have also laucnhed an online verification scheme for accommodation businesses to prove their compliance with the 12 steps.  

You can read the WTTC announcement here and the webpage for the scheme is here