• UK businesses registered ‘We’re Good To Go’ get global ‘Safe Travels’ stamp

    VisitBritain has today announced that tourism businesses in the UK registered to the ‘We’re Good To Go’ industry standard scheme can now be automatically issued with the international ‘Safe Travels’ stamp from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). The We’re Good To Go scheme, launched last year by VisitEngland in partnership with the tourism boards of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, has been recognised by the WTTC as meeting its international global standardised health and hygiene protocols and for its role in supporting the recovery of the UK tourism sector.

    The WTTC stamp enables travellers to recognise destinations around the world which have adopted global standardised protocols - so they can experience ‘Safe Travels.’ VisitBritain is coordinating the Safe Travels stamp issue in the UK, on behalf of the WTTC, for businesses registered to the We’re Good To Go scheme, with those who welcome international visitors particularly encouraged to apply.

    VisitBritain CEO Sally Balcombe said: “We are delighted that businesses certified to We’re Good To Go can also automatically register for the WTTC’s global Safe Travels stamp, recognising the standard of protocols and processes we have in place in the UK. This is also testament to the hard work and commitment of tens of thousands of businesses right across the country who have adapted and innovated to safely meet new ways of working and are already ‘good to go’.

    “This international stamp sitting alongside our We’re Good To Go mark also serves to reinforce that ‘ring of confidence’ for visitors that UK tourism businesses, attractions and destinations have clear processes in place to welcome them back safely as travel restrictions can be lifted. Our priority is to support the industry through crisis to recovery and beyond and this is a timely boost for businesses as well as for future inbound visitors, reassuring them that they can plan their trips to the UK with confidence, once we can travel again, and have a great experience when they get here.”

    WTTC President & CEO Gloria Guevara said: “We are pleased to see VisitBritain, the tourism agency for one of the world’s most popular destinations, implementing enhanced health and safety measures that are in line with our global protocols, to ensure safe travel, and we are delighted to recognise its efforts through the WTTC Safe Travels stamp. The globally recognised stamp enables both business and leisure travellers to distinguish destinations around the world which have adopted health and hygiene global standardised protocols – so they can experience ‘Safe Travels’ and VisitBritain’s adoption will help to restore consumer confidence.”

    From Friday February 26, We’re Good To Go registered businesses in the UK can log into their online account to download the Safe Travels stamp. Any business not already part of We’re Good To Go can apply to the scheme through the usual process and indicate within that application their wish to use the additional global WTTC stamp. More than 44,000 businesses across the UK are registered on to the ‘We’re Good To Go’ industry standard demonstrating they are adhering to the latest Government and public health guidance, have carried out a COVID-19 risk assessment and have the required processes in place to aid social distancing and cleanliness, reassuring customers, staff and local residents.

    The protocols for the WTTC’s global Safe Travels stamp were designed with the World Health Organisation and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines’ and developed alongside leading industry associations and international organisations

     

  • UK business’ energy prices set to be cut by half

    Energy bills for UK businesses will be cut by around half their predicted level this winter under a huge government support package. The scheme will fix wholesale gas and electricity prices for firms for six months from October 1, shielding businesses from crippling costs.

    Hospitals, schools and charities will also get help, the government said. It comes after ministers announced a £150bn plan to help households with their soaring bills for two years.

  • UK coach tours offer £16 million lifeline to local businesses

    Village pubs, family run B&Bs, and local visitor attractions are the reliable pitstops on any tour of rural Britain. However, the welcome and warmth of such independent and unique businesses is under threat from the lingering effects of the cost-of-living crisis, Brexit, and pandemic lockdowns.

  • UK engineering firm to invest in strategic machinery with funding from HSBC UK

    Westley Group, one of Europe’s largest privately-owned foundry and engineering groups, is set to further invest in new CNC machinery following an eight-figure funding package from HSBC UK. The funding from HSBC UK will support the Group’s UK business plans to add further value to its foundry activities through machining more of the castings it produces for its worldwide customer base.

  • UK firms to go on ‘ESG hiring spree’ in 2022

    There were a record number of job vacancies in the UK this year centred around environment, social and governance (ESG) – with more anticipated in 2022 according to global recruiter Robert Walters.

    There have been more than 35,000 new jobs created this year alone around ESG – with the number of people moving into these roles increasing by +7% to now represent upwards of 400,000 professionals in the UK.

  • UK Government Hydrogen Plan Launched

    Dale Edwards, a Green Energy Strategic Consultant with national law firm Clarke Willmott LLP, comments on the UK Government’s eagerly awaited launch of its hydrogen plan.

    Following on from the Government’s 10-point plan for a Green Industrial Revolution, significant prominence has been placed in the role that hydrogen could play in driving the growth of low carbon economy. In the Energy White Paper, a stated objective of producing 5GW capacity by 2030 was announced, along with Government analysis suggesting that 20-35% of the UK’s energy consumption by 2050 could be hydrogen-based, raising expectations.

  • UK government powers on with reforms to Solvency II

    The UK’s world-leading insurance industry will be able to invest tens of billions of pounds more in long-term UK infrastructure and green projects under proposals that have been published.

    The consultation on reforms to the Solvency II regime capitalises on the UK’s post-Brexit freedoms to spur a vibrant, innovative and internationally competitive insurance industry.

  • UK Government set to pay out millions for CO2 supplies restart

    The UK Government is set to pay out tens of millions of pounds to restart production of carbon dioxide at a key plant in the UK amid fears over food supplies and the nuclear industry.

    They will meet the full operating costs to run CF Industries' Teesside plant for three weeks.

  • UK hospitality needs urgent Treasury intervention

    The Chancellor and UK Government must intervene with financial support for hospitality as a matter of urgency, a retail analyst and economist has said today.

    Dr Steven McCabe, Birmingham City University, spoke following the news that a major UK pub operator is closing a number of premises in the capital owing to low trade from customers and high Covid cases amongst staff.

  • UK launches first national week to celebrate women in business

    June 19-23 sees the launch of National Women's Enterprise Week (NWEW), the first ever UK wide celebration of female led businesses.

    The brainchild of entrepreneur Alison Cork MBE (also founder of not for profit Make It Your Business www.makeityourbusiness.co.uk), NWEW aims to support and encourage female enterprise with a whole week of activities for both the general public and female entrepreneurial community.

  • UK outranks Switzerland as an ultimate country for FX traders

    The United Kingdom places eighth in the index, however, the country scores highly for its net-gross turnover of OTC foreign exchange instruments – which was the highest worldwide in 2022 at $3,755 billion. This is 98% higher than in nearby France, where turnover was just $214 billion in the same period.

  • UK Property Insurance Crisis: Report Reveals 82% of UK Properties Are Underinsured

    Coversure Dudley is launching a public awareness campaign to warn property owners of the risks of underinsurance. A recent report from Rebuild Cost Assessment found that 82% of UK properties are underinsured, a problem that could leave landlords and homeowners facing bills for tens-of-thousands of pounds in the event of claim.

  • UK ranking on quality of entrepreneurship slides seven places – according to new report

    The UK has slipped to number 25 out of 51 countries on the quality of entrepreneurship ecosystem economies - according to the new Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) National Entrepreneurship Context Index (NECI) released today.

    The ranking, reported in the ‘GEM 2022/2023 Global Report - Adapting to a New Normal’, is a fall from 18th last year, with the index score decreasing from 4.9 (in 2021) to 4.7.

  • UK signs treaty to join vast Indo-Pacific trade group as new data shows major economic benefits

    Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch has formally signed the treaty to accede to CPTPP trade group in New Zealand this morning [Sunday], kickstarting the UK’s membership of a modern and ambitious trade deal spanning 12 economies across Asia, the Pacific, and now Europe. The Secretary of State is in Auckland to put pen to paper on this mega deal, alongside New Zealand Trade Minister Damien O’Connor, Canadian Trade Minister Mary Ng, Japanese Minister for Economic Revitalisation Goto Shigeyuki and Australian Deputy Trade Minister Tim Ayres.

  • UK takes lead with world's first eco-friendly plastic

    Few strides in scientific advancement could be truer to this adage than the compelling work being done by Floreon, in partnership with the University of Sheffield.

  • UK Theme Park launches money-saving bargains on its Holiday Homes

    Looking for the ultimate UK getaway to cure those January blues? Good news, as there’s something for everyone to enjoy at Fantasy Island this year.

    The award-winning theme park, located in Ingoldmells, is offering its visitors 15% off on all holidays booked before 14th February. This means guests can bag a bargain with a UK staycation packed with adventure.

  • UK Top 10 accountancy firm responds as company failures reach highest annual number since 1993

    Andy McGill, Restructuring and Insolvency Partner at UK top ten accountancy and advisory firm Azets, comments on the company insolvency statistics for Q4 2023.

  • UK workers seeking more pension help from their employer

    A new survey of 2,000 UK adults has found that:

  • UK ‘Living Crisis’ Hits Workplaces – 1 in 3 professionals set to walk amid mounting personal pressures

    A third of white-collar professionals have stated that they are ‘very likely’ to leave their job in the coming months, unless more understanding and assistance is directed toward personal matters which impact their work. According to research carried out by global recruiter Robert Walters, there are three major ‘living crisis’ that will further drive The Great Reshuffle which companies need to be tuned into in order to attract & retain talent:

  • UK-based ALM Translations included in prestigious Slator Language Service Provider Index, marking 20 years of excellence in linguistic services

    Translation and international marketing agency ALM celebrates its 20th anniversary this month having recently achieved inclusion in the Slator Language Service Provider Index, a respected registry of the world’s largest translation, localization, interpreting, and language technology companies. 

    Co-director Rachel Coleman has said: “From setting up ALM Translations (formerly Asset Language Management) in 2002 in a converted garage, Lisa and I have grown our business year-on-year thanks to our very different skillsets.