VisitEngland, in partnership with the national tourist organisations of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales has launched a UK-wide industry standard and consumer mark to provide a ‘ring of confidence’ for tourism as the sector works toward reopening.
The We’re Good To Go industry standard and supporting mark means businesses can demonstrate that they are adhering to the respective Government and public health guidance, have carried out a COVID-19 risk assessment and checked that they have the required processes in place. The scheme is free to join and is open to all businesses across the indsutry.
Tourism Minister Nigel Huddleston MP said, “I want to encourage the public to experience a great British holiday this summer and be confident that they can do so safely. This new industry standard will show people that tourism businesses, destinations and attractions are adhering to the guidance. It puts safety first and is an important move in getting this industry back up and running.”
VisitEngland Director Patricia Yates said, “With millions of jobs and local economies across the country reliant on tourism, it is essential that businesses can get up and running as soon as the respective Government advice allows to capture the peak British summer season.
“We want visitors to be able to enjoy their holidays and to support businesses to be confident they will have the correct procedures in place. Our priority is to make sure tourism rebounds to once again become one of the most successful sectors of the UK economy and this ‘ring of confidence’ is a crucial step on the industry’s road to rebuilding.”
To obtain the mark, businesses must complete a self-assessment through the online platform goodtogo.visitbritain.com including a checklist confirming they have put the necessary processes in place, before receiving certification and the We’re Good To Go mark for display in their premises and online.
Businesses across the UK are assessed according to the respective national guidance including the social distancing and cleanliness protocols that ,must be in place. In England, businesses align with the UK Government’s official guidance for the sector. An alert system ensures that businesses signed up to the standard are notified of any changes to the official guidance. A call-handling service provides support and assessors will also carry out random spot-checks to ensure adherence.
The scheme has been developed in partnership with Tourism Northern Ireland, VisitScotland and Visit Wales to ensure a standard-led approach across the UK with input from more than 40 industry bodies including UKHospitality, ALVA, the British Holiday & Home Parks Association, the British Beer and Pub Association, and the National Caravan Council, as well as DMOs across the country. The self-assessment includes specific guidelines for sectors including accommodation, visitor attractions, restaurants and pubs, business conference and events venues and tour and coach operators, with signposting to further industry and trade association guidance as required.
The We’re Good To Go scheme is being operated by VisitEngland which has been running assessment schemes for many years. Alongside the industry standard, VisitEngland is also launching a Know Before You Go public information campaign to support tourism in England as businesses start to reopen, reassuring visitors as restrictions are lifted by checking what is safe to do when, and sign-posting to information about destinations an available services before travelling.
