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Scottish tourism sector 'could reopen from mid-July'
Scotland’s tourism sector could reopen from mid-July, the country’s tourism minister said.
Addressing Scotland’s parliament on Wednesday (10 June), Fergus Ewing said the mid-July timetable was "provisional and conditional".
The country’s lockdown restrictions are next due for review on 18 June and 9 July, with Scotland looking to progress to a third phase.
Ewing said tourism and hospitality businesses should therefore prepare to reopen on 15 July "within appropriate safety guidelines".
First minister Nicola Sturgeon confirmed on Wednesday coronavirus deaths in Scotland had fallen to their lower level since late March.
She added there would need to be significant evidence the drop is sustained before announcing further changes to lockdown measures.
With regards to tourism, Ewing said he hoped to give the sector the go-ahead at the 9 July review, subject to giving services – such as transport – time to prepare.
He added that while nothing could be guaranteed at this stage, Scottish tourism and hospitality businesses were encouraged to prepare to reopen from 15 July.
By contrast, Wales’s first minister Mark Drakeford told the i newspaper at the weekend tourism in the country this summer would be largely restricted to "self-contained" accommodation.
He said it would be "much harder" for hotels and B&Bs to reopen owing to the greater risk of coronavirus transmission.
“I have not given up on the idea we may be able to rescue some limited parts of the tourism season, although we are not yet there in being able to make those decisions," said Drakeford.
His comments were challenged by the UK government’s Welsh secretary Simon Hart, who called on the Welsh Assembly to bring forward publication of a plan to sustain the country’s tourism sector.
James Chapple
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