The leisure and tourism sector is one of the last that is planned to fully reopen after lockdown, but it is vitally important for our economy. Without it, our livelihoods will be very much worse off so we need to find ways to gradually reopen these businesses while social distancing is still present. Here are some ideas I have come up with, hopefully achievable by September at the earliest:
Pubs
Pubs
- Social distancing will be difficult to maintain, but pubs are known to boost morale, so these should be allowed to open on Saturday evenings only for locals. Each pub will only be allowed to let in people who live within a 2-mile radius of it while proof of address will be required upon entry.
- From September, pubs within 2-miles of a university should additionally be allowed to open on Friday evenings for students studying at that university only. Student ID will be required upon entry instead of a driving licence or other form of ID.
- Guests to be limited to a maximum of 2 alcoholic drinks per visit.
- Table service or an ordering app should be implemented where possible to prevent standing around at the bar.
- Broadcasting sporting events should be banned to prevent an influx of visitors.
- Social distancing will be impossible here, but like pubs, the spread of the virus could be mitigated by limiting opening hours and who can enter.
- These should be allowed to open from September to local students only on a Friday night as part of a once per week “Student Night” alongside pubs opening (as this will give them an incentive to go to university in September when student numbers could be hit hard).
- Nobody else will be allowed to enter nightclubs until social distancing is no longer required.
- These should be allowed to operate at 25% of normal capacity, with advance reservations compulsory.
- Tables should be spaced at least 1 metre apart where possible (2 metres is unworkable).
- On nice sunny days, people should be encouraged to sit in nearby parks as an extension of the café’s seating area
- Staff required to wear face masks.
- These should be allowed to open, but at 20% of normal capacity and guests required to book a time slot before entry.
- People will only be allowed to book slots at gyms within their home local authority. As for University gyms, these should be allowed to open from September for students only.
- Staff should be required to wear face masks, but not guests as it will be difficult to breathe wearing them while exercising.
- These should be allowed to operate at 25% of normal capacity, with people spaced apart as much as possible (although members of the same household can sit together).
- Food and drink outlets on site should remain closed.
- Longer shows should be required to have at least 2-3 intervals in order to prevent long queues for the toilets.
- All customers and staff will be required to wear face masks.
- Concerts and sporting events should be allowed to resume as long as everybody stays at least 2 metres apart.
- Seating capacity should be at 25% the normal level with standing banned and people spaced out as much as possible.
- Face masks must always be worn within the venue.
- People should be allowed to take staycations this summer to boost morale, therefore hotels should be allowed to take bookings as long as there is only one household per room. Only 20% of all rooms to be occupied at once.
- Hotels that do not open to paying guests should be required to provide shelter for homeless people, victims of domestic abuse and key workers unable to return home.
- Holiday parks should be allowed to open, but with facilities where people are likely to gather remaining closed.
- In hostels, all occupants of a room must be part of the same household.
- Bed & Breakfasts may have to remain closed as they involve people visiting somebody else’s house.
- Free museums should be allowed to operate like supermarkets, only letting a certain number of people in at once.
- Exhibits that involve touching should be off limits to the public.
- Larger and pay per entry museums to take advanced bookings only.
- These should be allowed to open at 40% of normal capacity, with advance bookings compulsory.
- Queuing for rides and attractions should be replaced with a virtual queuing system, done on an app.
- Attractions that involve guests frequently touching equipment and living things must remain closed.
- The outdoors is extremely beneficial for mental health, so these attractions should be allowed to open at a reduced capacity.
- Car parking should be limited with guests encouraged to walk or cycle to these places. This will prevent an influx of cars like what happened the weekend before lockdown.
- Houses, shops and cafes on site should remain closed.
- If social distancing cannot be maintained, it might be worth organisations (National Trust, English Heritage etc) limiting opening to members only.
- These will probably be unable to go ahead until spring 2021 at the earliest. Even if some restrictions can be lifted by September, demand for outdoor festivals will reduce anyway with the cold winter months approaching.