Welsh holiday providers warned: don’t take Easter bookings from England
Wales will reopen self-contained accommodation for Easter
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Your support makes all the difference.Holiday accommodation in Wales must not be rented to people from England over Easter, the first minister has warned.
Mark Drakeford said that “irresponsible” behaviour from the tourism industry in Wales could halt plans to open up the nation.
The first minister told the PA news agency: “People who let accommodation should not be taking bookings from people who live outside Wales.”
He said that talks with local authorities and police would take place next week on how the ban on cross-border tourism could be enforced.
Mr Drakeford has announced self-contained accommodation in Wales will be open for single-household occupation from 27 March.
He told BBC Today: “If you have a caravan or you can hire a cottage, then you’ll be able to do that.
“That will be the first stage of reopening the tourist industry. Provided that goes well and successfully, then we will go on and reopen other parts of the industry.”
But he later warned:”If the industry were to act irresponsibly, the penalty would be we wouldn’t be able to carry on reopening the industry.
“I know there are rogues in any part of life. But I think that the industry will absolutely recognise that we want to go beyond self-contained accommodation.
“We want the tourism industry in Wales to have a longer and better season this year than we managed last year.”
The first minister of Wales also expressed concern about opening up international travel in May.
At present holidays abroad are illegal for anyone living in the UK.
The government roadmap for England plans to allow international leisure travel no earlier than 17 May.
But Mr Drakeford told BBC Breakfast: “I have anxieties about the resumption of foreign travel as early as 17 May.
“September in Wales was a difficult month, because we had people coming back to Wales from France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Bulgaria, Turkey, you name it, bringing the virus with them.
“I would want to be completely confident that we are not running the risk of the re-importation of the virus, particularly now that we know there are new variants of this virus in other parts of the world.”
From tomorrow, four people from two households in Wales will be able to meet outdoors to socialise, including in gardens.
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