Covid-19: Quarantining tourists 'could lead to more uncertainty'

The proposals would hit trade in areas like Pembrokeshire, say businesses

Proposals to quarantine visitors from Covid hotspots in England could "induce more cancellations and more uncertainty", say tourism businesses.

Wales' Health Minister Vaughan Gething is considering quarantining visitors from areas of England facing local restrictions.

It is illegal for people to leave or enter lockdown counties in Wales, apart from those with a reasonable excuse.

But this law does not exist for areas under local restrictions in England.

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Tourism businesses in areas of Wales which are not currently under local lockdown said they were contacting guests from hotspot areas of England and asking if they wanted to reschedule their visits.

But they said there was "confusion in communication" which could be worsened if quarantine measures were introduced.

'Common sense'

The mayor of Barmouth in Gwynedd, Councillor Katie Price, who also owns a B&B in the town, BBC Radio Wales Breakfast the key to keeping safe was "people using their common sense and trusting their judgement", but this also caused difficulties.

"Everyone's level of common sense might be different but we have to trust that people will do the right thing and only travel if they are deemed safe to," she said.

Tourism businesses say quarantining visitors to Wales could cause more confusion

Jayne Rees-Baynes, who is chair of Pembrokeshire Tourism and runs the Elm Grove Country House in Tenby, said quarantining visitors from areas of England under local restrictions could lead to more confusion.

She said: "I think at the moment people are being quite responsible.

We are seeing quite a high number of cancellations from people who are in lockdown areas and we are actively going and contacting those guests that come from those areas that haven't cancelled already and asking them to reschedule."

Quarantine measures would mean trade for autumn and winter would "completely disappear", she said, because "everybody will think it applies to them and not just lockdown areas".

South Wales Chief Constable Matt Jukes said officers "can and will" step in to enforce Welsh Government guidance on coronavirus restrictions if needed.

Mr Jukes told BBC Wales it was important for communities to understand the rules and that police would "step in" to advise if needed.