Tourists will be able to holiday in Wales two days earlier than previously announced
Tourists will be able to take a holiday in Wales two days earlier than previously announced, the Welsh Government has confirmed.
Providers of self-contained accommodation like cottages, bed and breakfasts and caravans will now be able to take bookings from Saturday July 11, subject to the continued fall in coronavirus cases.
On Thursday, Wales' minister for international relations Eluned Morgan said the change was prompted by the tourism industry wanting holidaymakers to be able to book from the weekend instead of at the start of the working week.
She told the Welsh Government's daily press briefing: "If the scientific and medical advice supports reopening, self-contained accommodation will be able to reopen from July 11.
"We've brought this forward from July 13 after discussing this further with the sector to enable them to take bookings from Saturday to Saturday."
Holidaymakers will be restricted to self-contained accommodation, including caravans with their own kitchen and bathroom, cottages, and hotels and bed and breakfasts that are en-suite and provide room service meals.
In a further boost to the industry, Baroness Morgan said outdoor visitor attractions would also be able to reopen from July 6 as long as Wales' five-mile travel guidance is lifted on the same day as planned.
"If the requirement to stay local is lifted this will allow our outdoor visitor attractions to open. But they'll have to follow the rules on social distancing and hand hygiene, and they'll have to follow the guidelines we've set out," she said.
But she added indoor visitor attractions would stay shut for the time being due to the increased risk of virus transmissions, with a Government review of regulations due to discuss options for indoor venues next Thursday.
Last month, tourism leaders from some of the most popular visitor attractions in Wales issued a joint statement calling for "urgent clarity" around dates for reopening.
Bosses from the likes of Snowdon Mountain Railway, Zip World, and the National Botanic Garden of Wales warned the industry is on the "brink of collapse" as the main tourism season approaches.
Tourism employs 100,000 people in Wales and is estimated to be worth £3 billion to the Welsh economy.
It comes after it was announced that pubs and restaurants in Wales will be able to reopen outdoors from July 13.
The first phase will see the reopening of outdoor spaces owned by businesses and subject to existing licenses.
Reopening indoor services will be considered at a later date and will depend on the success of outdoor opening and the state of the virus in Wales, as well as measures businesses put in place to reduce the risk of transmission including pre-booking, table service and the use of apps.