Visit Dorset Business Support Hub COVID-19 Information for tourism businesses

Covid 19 Business Support

Business support and grants from your council

Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant

Dorset Council application

BCP Council application

Additional Restrictions Grant - Omicron Support Scheme

Dorset Council application

BCP application

Visit our council websites for business advice regarding business rate relief, grants and more.

For businesses in the Dorset Council area.

For businesses in the BCP Council area.  

Covid-19 Business Impact Survey results

Along with partners, Visit Dorset will be carrying out regular surveys to determine the impact of the pandemic on Dorset's tourism businesses. Read the  Survey results.

Please think 111

People are being asked to think 111 first during the school summer holidays and beyond, to help ease pressure on local health services. It's important that visitors to Dorset have this information communicated to them by accommodation providers in Dorset.

NHS 111 is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week online via 111.nhs.uk or by calling 111 for free.

When you call you will be connected to an advisor who can help you get the right treatment, first time or make a timed arrival slot at a minor injuries unit, urgent treatment centre or the local Emergency Department if appropriate.

You can also link your emails or website to this page for more information and the help sheet.

A postcard to share and print has been designed by the NHS to give to visitors to Dorset. The aim is to help people know how to access services whilst on holiday and avoid overwhelming accident and emergency services in our hospitals  Stay well this summer in Dorset.

The NHS have produced a useful information poster on what holidaymakers need to do if visiting an area and develop COVID symptoms.  The poster is available to download and it would be very much appreciated if you could display this poster within your business to help ensure that your guests / visitors are made aware of the process they need to follow if they fall ill whilst on holiday in Dorset.

This Tourist Charter provides 5 steps for visitors to enjoy a safe holiday.

Visit Dorset recovery campaigns 

We have created a quick guide to the marketing campaigns that we will be running to help businesses recover over the coming year and to manage safer visits. We invite you to get involved with us and support those campaigns by sharing them on your social media and websites. Look out for our enewsletter updates about these campaigns every month including opportunities to collaborate and marketing assets for you to use.

Read our quick guide to see our 2021 marketing campaigns 

(also available in an accessible text only version on request).

Visit Dorset membership unfreeze

Following the government’s decision to restrict all non-essential travel due to the Covid-19 pandemic in March, we took the decision to freeze all Visit Dorset membership packages across our visit-dorset.com website and all payments and invoice recovery was halted to support our tourism business members.

In line with the Government’s announcement to re-open the majority of the tourism and hospitality sector on the 4th July, we reactivated all Visit Dorset memberships as of 1st August. Please note, to support businesses we have also extended all Visit Dorset memberships until 1st May 2021 at no extra cost.

The team have been working incredibly hard to support the tourism sector across Dorset implementing our recovery roadmap, ensuring all the latest government information and guidelines have been made available, providing appropriate messaging to potential visitors via our social media channels and ensuring our website contains all the latest advice. 

We’ve also been busy co-ordinating joint campaigns with partners across the South West, bidding for funding and undertaking key research projects and providing feedback to central government.

We understand that the past few months have been incredibly difficult for everyone within the industry and we will continue to do everything we can to represent and support our Visit Dorset members.

Visit Dorset Roadmap to Recovery

Dorset tourism is facing up to its biggest challenge ever with Coronavirus impacting the entire industry. It is crucial as we look to rebuild a successful tourism industry which allows locals and visitors to coexist.

The Visit Dorset Roadmap to Recovery takes a phased approach and will continue to evolve in line with the scientific evidence and government advice on the reopening of the tourism industry. Responsible tourism will be core to this, communicating with and working with our local communities and the businesses of Dorset.

Read the Visit Dorset Roadmap to Recovery summarised plan

 

Covid-19 Business Impact Survey results

Along with partners, Visit Dorset will be carrying out regular surveys to determine the impact of the pandemic on Dorset's tourism businesses. Read the  Survey results.

What does your Dorset look like? Adventures on our epic coastline? Visiting attractions with family? A walk through the beautiful countryside? Or perhaps a chilled out evening eating and drinking with friends? Discover a sample of your #VisitDorset images below and share your love for Dorset using the hashtag on Instagram.