Broadland: Grants to help tourism recover from COVID-19 now available

Grants are now available to help businesses adapt their premises to meet up to half of the cost of the new social distancing and hygiene requirements. This adaption grant can be claimed on money spent since June 23 2020.

The Tourism Business COVID-19 Adaption Grant grants ranges from £250 to £2,500. It is part of a package of measures being led by Norfolk County Council, the county’s seven district councils and Visit East of England worth more than £2 million pounds.

The money has come from the Norfolk Strategic Fund set up by the district and county councils, together with the New Anglia LEP (Local Enterprise Partnership) to support the recovery of the area following the aftermath of COVID-19.

A second fund will be launched mid-August to enable tourism businesses to extend their season into autumn and winter where they are unable to do so at present. This fund has been created as part of an effort to bring additional tourism back to businesses at a time when they would not normally have been operating or is outside their traditional visitor season.

The tourism industry in Norfolk has been negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and businesses have missed out on significant holiday periods across the early part of 2020. A council report on tourism in Broadland in 2018 showed the sector’s total value to the district was worth more than £177 million.

Cabinet member for Economic Development, Councillor Jo Copplestone said building confidence among visitors and local people was crucial to bring people back and help tourism businesses survive the pandemic.

Cllr Copplestone said:

“Businesses have had to adapt to survive. Through no fault of their own they have found themselves with additional expense. These grants will go some way to helping fund the adaptations they have had to make to protect themselves and their customers. “The tourism industry is vital to the survival of the economy in Broadland. We want businesses to know we are doing all we can to support them and Broadland’s beautiful tourist attractions are open for business and they are safe.”

For further information on either of the grants please visit the Broadland District Council website.