We appreciate that it remains to be an extremely difficult, worrying and complex time for many businesses and individuals across North Wales with the COVID-19 pandemic but please remember that we are here to support you.
If you have any questions/queries please do not hesitate to contact us, by email (contacts below), social media channels, online chat on the Trade website or phone. Please email jim.jones@gonorthwales.org.uk; eirlys.jones@gonorthwales.org.uk or deborah.nettleton@gonorthwales.org.uk with any issues etc you may have.
Please also make sure that you are kept up to date with all the information as they happen by visiting our Trade site www.northwalestourism.com and following us on our NWTBiz social media platforms (facebook and twitter), all of which are regularly updated.
Keep safe, we’re in this together.
Go North Wales Tourism Awards 2021
The Go North Wales Tourism Awards 2021 will this year be held on Thursday 25th of November at Venue Cymru, Llandudno.
Deadline for nominations is Sunday 10th October 2021
https://gonorthwalestourismawards.website
Categories include:
| Go Attraction of the Year |
| Outstanding Contribution to Tourism Award |
| Go Tourism & Hospitality Hero |
| Go Responsible and Sustainable Green Award |
| Go Hotel of the Year |
| Go 30 years of the Tourism Industry |
| Go Best B&B/Inn of the Year |
| Go Pet Friendly Award |
| Go Holiday Park of the Year |
| Go Self Catering of the Year |
| Go Activity of the Year |
| Go Caravan, Camping or Glamping of the Year |
| Go Taste of North Wales Award |
| Go Resilience and Innovation Award |
| Go Business Events and Incentive Travel Award |
Website listing – Updating your Details
Your individual listing on our website is your main opportunity to present your business to the public. However, like any advertising it must be regularly maintained to ensure that it is correct, current and really works for you.
- When did you last check it?
- When did you last update it?
- Are your pictures great?
- Is your listing better than that of competitors?
Please login and update your entry on http://update-my.gonorthwales.info. If you have forgotten your password please click on the “forgotten your password” link and enter your registered email address (to reset). If you can’t remember your registered email address, please call 01492 531731 (option 5) and ask for a member of the digital team alternatively email digital@gonorthwales.org.uk or visit https://northwalestourism.com/go-north-wales/update-your-go-north-wales-listing/ for assistance with updating your details
Facebook/Twitter – Do you Follow Us
Don’t forget, if you are on social media you can follow us on both Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @nwtbiz @gonorthwales – so if you have content that you would like us to share, let us know and we’ll promote it to our audience! If possible please link to our destination platforms in your posts so that we can see you and share. Social Media and digital marketing are very important parts of the modern marketing mix and a great way to get your business promoted. Remember, we can’t share your social media stories if we don’t know about them.
NWTBiz Facebook Forum
We have a closed Facebook group specifically for members where you can discuss issues, ask for help as well as support each other in our collected aim to make our region one of the top UK tourist destinations. You will need to request to join this by searching NWTBiz and we will accept you as a member.
Special Offers
All members can create special offers at no cost. They show on the special offers page on the gonorthwales website and it is another sales opportunity that is free to use. At present this facility is under used. If you would like to submit your offer to include on our website please follow the link http://submit-offer.gonorth.wales/
Banner Adverts
These are adverts, separate from your normal web listing that show on the home page and the sub- pages. Adverts cost from £200 and when clicked the user is taken to a location defined by the advertiser, usually the member’s own website, rather than your page on our site. For further information on banner advertising please contact digital@gonorthwales.org.uk.
Let’s Keep In Touch
Our main means of communication with you, our members, is by email. We send out regular email messages to all members or to specific sections of the membership. We try to restrict the number of emails to key topics but also send out regular newsletters covering minor topics. Old copies of newsletters are available online.
In addition to emails, we post short-term news on our closed Facebook Group.
Members’ website – www.northwalestourism.com
The members website is another important source of information. Do look at it regularly for information on training courses, offers and discounts, forthcoming meetings and reports on past meetings. You will also find information about membership, managing your web page, details of the Board, latest research documents and strategies and much more.
Tell us your news
Do keep us informed about your business.
- If you send out press releases or newsletters, do ensure that we are on the distribution list – digital@gonorthwales.org.uk
- Tell us about business developments, any new plans you may have and your successes.
Obviously we like to hear what you are doing, but more importantly we use the information to promote your business and the area in the following ways, all of which are free to you.
- Social Media
- We have a news page on our website. We are regularly publishing articles each week and most are news from our members.
- Inclusion in our regular members’ newsletters
Bedroom Browsers
If you require a further supply of our 2021/22 Bedroom Browser please contact Geoff or Andy on 01492 573887 or email distribution@gonorthwales.org.uk
Marketing and Promotional Opportunities
We know that right now there is still so much uncertainty, it’s hard to plan ahead. However, we can focus on what we are certain of – that North Wales remains a fantastic destination with a lot to offer its visitors. It has got no less beautiful or appealing over the last year and people everywhere are desperate to travel and visit new places.
In preparation, at North Wales Tourism, we have been working on our marketing plan to support the road to recovery and make sure that North Wales is at the top of everyone’s new bucket lists of places to visit. It targets our UK and overseas market and we believe showcases our visitor offer beautifully.
Please have a look at our marketing buy in brochure and if you are interested in any element of the promotion listed please contact us for a chat – even if you don’t have the budget available now, please have a conversation with our team to see how we can help you. We are here to help and want to make sure that you get the best possible promotion for your businesses in 2021-2022.
RSP North Wales – Employer Survey
Are you able to recruit and retain staff with the right skills for your Business? Do you want to be part of the process of changing the skills landscape in the North Wales region?
The North Wales Regional Skills Partnerships (RSP) wants to learn about the challenges and skills gaps facing businesses.
Make your voice heard by completing the survey, which will be open until 12:00pm, 13 October 2021.
https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/WH7WSJ2
Establishing a statutory registration or licensing scheme for holiday accommodation operators in Wales
Strategic Research & Insight (SRI), an independent Cardiff-based research agency has been commissioned by Welsh Government to interview stakeholders to explore establishing a statutory registration or licensing scheme for holiday accommodation operators in Wales.
SRI will be speaking to stakeholders in Welsh Government, local authorities and trade associations in Wales, as well as researching best practice in other countries, to consider:
- Whether developing a registration scheme or licensing scheme would be appropriate in Wales
- The options for how a scheme would be operated and delivered at national and/or local level
- Resources required for each of the best options
- How a scheme would support wider areas of Welsh Government policy such as housing and taxation
- Whether a scheme should merge or align with the existing Visit Wales grading scheme or follow the Rent Smart Wales model
There are significant potential benefits of the scheme, including a level playing field for professional and amateur accommodation operators, and a much better oversight of the sector to inform decision-making in tourism, housing, environmental health and taxation. WG also recognise there are wider views and considerations that need to be explored.
As it will not be possible for SRI to speak to all tourism businesses as part of this work, please feed any comments you have through your representative body; these will help form the decision on whether a scheme is implemented, and if so, how. Please feed in any comments/views to eirlys.jones@gonorthwales.org.uk who will collate for forwarding on to SRI.
Have your say on local taxes on second homes and holiday lets
Views are being sought on potential changes to local taxes which could be used by local authorities to tackle the effects that large numbers of second homes and commercial holiday lets can have in some parts of Wales.Welsh Government are also asking for views and evidence on the criteria used to define a property as self-catering accommodation for local tax purposes.
Consultation ends 17 November 2021
https://gov.wales/local-taxes-second-homes-and-self-catering-accommodation
What businesses need to know about the new allergen labelling for prepacked for direct sale (PPDS) food.
From 1 October 2021, the requirements for prepacked for direct sale (PPDS) food labelling will change in Wales, England, and Northern Ireland. The new labelling will help protect your consumers by providing potentially life-saving allergen information on the packaging.
Any business that produces PPDS food will be required to label it with the name of the food and a full ingredients list, with allergenic ingredients emphasised within the list.
Businesses need to check if their products require PPDS labelling and what they need to do to comply with the new rules.
https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/introduction-to-allergen-labelling-changes-ppds
New dates for webinars to help tourism and hospitality business get digital
Superfast Business Wales have added new dates to their Tourism and Hospitality-tailored webinar series.
Superfast Business Wales will show you how to make your business stand out online, engage new customers, make more of reviews, as well use digital tools like online booking platforms to run your business successfully.
- 6 October 2021 (1pm – 3pm) – Part 1: Social media for tourism and hospitality
- 7 October 2021 (1pm – 3pm) – Part 2: Running your tourism and hospitality business online
Sign up for the webinars here and find out more about free one-to-one support.
Welsh Food and Drink Industry – The Decarbonisation and Covid Challenge Fund
The Decarbonisation and Covid Challenge Fund aims to fund collaborative projects that can deliver innovative solutions in relation to the decarbonisation agenda, whilst aiding the recovery of the Welsh food and drink sector which has been adversely affected by the pandemic.
A total of £2,400,000 is available across two funding streams:
- Micro and Small Business Challenge Fund – total grant fund available: £600,000. Maximum grant available per project / application is £50,000, inclusive of any applicable VAT. No match funding is required if applying for this fund.
- Main Challenge Fund – total grant fund available £1,800,000. Maximum grant funding available per project / application is £100,000 inclusive of any applicable VAT. Match funding of 20% is required therefore the total project cost should be a minimum of £125,000. Match funding needs to be a minimum of 50% cash, the remainder can be an in-kind contribution i.e. match funding of £25,000 will need to be a minimum of £12,500 cash.
Deadline Date: 23 November 2021
Deadline Time: 13:00
Further details available here
