Official guidance has been published today which you are we are sharing with you.
At the TIER meeting there was a discussion with DCMS officials and Bernard Donoghue, who has been seconded to the Royal family to help with arrangements over this period, as to what was appropriate for tourism businesses to do in terms of opening, holding events and undertaking marketing.
There are no hard and fast rules on any of these issues but the over-riding point is that whatever businesses do should be respectful, especially through the official mourning period which will last through to the Queen’s funeral which will probably be in about 10 days time. VisitBritain and Visit London have both pulled their marketing activities during this period as a sign of respect.
If events or businesses continue operating during the mourning period they should acknowledge the death of the Queen and examine the “tone” of their activity to ensure it is respectful. Even after the funeral, businesses should gauge the mood of the nation in their activities and messaging should express “solace and solidarity”.
Other points to come out of the meeting were:
- it is likely that events that require police support may be cancelled due to police being required for funeral arrangements.
- It is possible that there may be transport restrictions (including air and rail) around the day of the funeral
- It is possible that hotels in London may be needed for official use around the time of the funeral so people with bookings should check with their hotel.
If you have any questions from your members on any aspect, VB and DCMS have taken to find answers so let me know and I will forward them on.
Juliet – membership@beam-org.uk