Decision on Welsh holiday accommodation reopening expected next week

A decision on whether parts of the Welsh tourism industry can reopen in time for Easter holidays will be made next week, the first minister has said.

Last week Mark Drakeford said self-contained holiday accommodation, including hotels that can offer room service with in-room facilities, may be allowed to reopen from 27 March if coronavirus case numbers remain low.

The "stay local" message could also be lifted to allow people to go on holiday anywhere in Wales.

Welsh hospitality owners have expressed frustration at the lack of a clear opening date for the sector and called for a clearer roadmap out of lockdown.

Mark Drakeford said he hopes to confirm “by the end of next week” if self-contained accommodation can reopen and if travel rules will be relaxed, depending on the data.

He said: “There are some parts of Wales where the position is not as good as we would like it to be.

“People who follow the news will have seen that Paris has gone back into lockdown again. We’ve known all along how fast circumstances can change in coronavirus and that’s why it’s important to wait until the last moment you can in order to make these decisions, because that’s when you have the best and latest data.”

Non-essential retail and garden centres in Wales will begin to reopen from 22 March, with restrictions lifting on what shops already open can sell. The “stay at home” message was replaced by “stay local” on 13 March.

If restrictions are eased on 27 March, Mark Drakeford has warned hotels against taking bookings from England, where self-contained accommodation is not due to reopen before 12 April.

He has said reopening outdoor hospitality and the wedding sector will not be considered until the end of April.

Outdoor hospitality in England has a provisional opening date of 12 April, while hotels and indoor businesses will open no earlier than 17 May. In Scotland both indoor and outdoor hospitality has been given an opening date of 26 April, subject to tough restrictions. Northern Ireland has yet to provide indicative dates for the reopening of hospitality.

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