BUSINESS TIPS

G E T T I N G U P AND RUNNING

As lockdown restrictions loosen, Welcome to Yorkshire’s Emma Sanderson shares examples of best practice from Yorkshire tourism industry businesses, on how they are preparing to reopen, recover and rebuild. If you’re also making plans to get up and running again, use #YorkshireTogether when adding news to social media so others can keep up to date with what’s happening in the county.

1Fundraising If you can’t open just yet, can you start a fundraising campaign to help your finances through this downtime? Both The Deep and Helmsley Walled Garden set up donation pages on their websites. Use the opportunity to tell people what different amounts of money can cover or consider offering them something in return.

2Number crunch Manage potential influxes of visitors by asking people to book a timeslot prior to arrival. Bolton Abbey have an online ticketing system to ensure visitors can enjoy their visit knowing that numbers will be restricted.

3Welcome supporters If you have a membership scheme, you could invite members first as Castle Howard did, or offer a priority slot for them to visit. Not just a great opportunity to welcome those who support your business, it can also give you a chance to ask for feedback on the measures you’ve put in place. If you don’t have a membership scheme, why not invite your newsletter database initially?

4Something new It’s not always necessary to spend money to offer something new. The Coniston Hotel are promoting new walks and picnic areas around their grounds, giving guests something different to experience using features that already existed.

5Phased opening If lockdown restrictions mean that you can’t open your doors fully can you partially reopen? The National Trust have opened many gardens, whilst keeping their houses closed. 6 Communicate Ensure you communicate with your customers regularly, keeping them up to date with changes to your business and with details of how you’re able to keep them safe during their visit. Whilst social media is an ideal way to get a message across, consider using a newsletter or even write a blog, just as The Private Hill has done.

7Good to go? Visitors will be looking to see that you have PPE and thorough hygiene practices in place to keep them, your staff or yourselves safe. Introduce screens and masks, and have sanitiser placed throughout for everyone to use.

8Consultation When putting plans in place, why not consult your customers and ask what they want to see you doing to feel reassured? Go Ape have a short survey on their homepage asking for ideas and thoughts on their plans to reopen.

9Staying apart Label the floor to mark twometre distancing, as Leeds Cookery School will be doing, and help your customers stay safe by staying apart. 10 Contactless stays Many accommodation providers are opting for contactless stays, limiting the interaction required by guests and staff. Increased options for in room and alfresco dining, along with private hot tubs, are some features at Middleton Lodge. 11 Alternative dates When responding to cancellation requests, offer alternative dates, just as Meadow Falls have done. 12 Appointment only Introduce appointment only visits for customers, just as car dealer JCT600 have done. Not only does this one on one service keep your offering exclusive, it makes social distancing and other measures simpler to monitor. 13 Reassure customers To reassure customers and give them the confidence to return and be clear about the facilities that are available. Ripley Castle have details of areas that will be accessible for visitors including toilets, car parking and cafes. 14 Local measures Be aware of your local area and measures introduced to help with social distancing measures. Leeds City Council are widening pavements and increasing cleaning throughout the centre. 15 Webinars Over the coming weeks and months Welcome to Yorkshire will be running a series of webinars on a variety of topics to keep Yorkshire connected and up to date on all the key movements within the tourism sector.

Keep checking https://industry. yorkshire.com/resources/webinars for future webinar information and we will of course share details beforehand through our industry social media channels on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn

Join in the conversation on social media using #YorkshireTogether or email us at info@yorkshire.com.