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Government and Public Bodies

National government level

There is a variety of sources of information and advice available from government - individual sections . Some general sources are given below.
  • Open government: each of the government departments now has a website (detailed below), some with current news on regulations and initiatives relating to business. There is also a single entry point to all UK public sector information (www.direct.gov.uk).
  • Direct access government (www.businesslink.org): is a one-stop shop for businesses to access regulatory guidance published on government websites.
  • Small business service (SBS): is dedicated to the interests of small business. Two of its functions are to improve government support for small businesses and to help them with regulations. The SBS is taking over supervision of the Business Links network (see Business Links) below.

The DTI/SBS have produced a very useful guide called The No Nonsense Guide to Government Rules and Regulations for Setting up Your Business – Spring 2003. This can be ordered free of charge from Business Link on 0845 600 9006 or downloaded from the SBS website.

VisitBritain

VisitBritain publishes a range of publications for accommodation businesses. For further details, see www.tourismtrade.org.uk/publications/.

VisitBritain also provides market intelligence online free of charge - see www.tourismtrade.org.uk/MarketIntelligenceResearch/default.asp

VisitBritain also publishes accommodation guides (covering bed and breakfasts, camping and caravan parks and other types of accommodation) - further details can be found on www.enjoyenglanddirect.com.

Regional development agencies and delivery partners

Local tourist organisations' activities vary from region to region, but supporting local tourism businesses is a common priority. They offer a number of services that can help you, including:
  • information and guidance about starting up a tourism business (several offer more extensive business support services)
  • training courses
  • appropriate marketing opportunities
  • general information on tourism within the region, development plans, regional tourism trends and statistics.

They can also act as a signpost, directing you to other regional and local bodies that you need to contact or that can offer you further assistance.

Note! Some of these services may be restricted to members.

The contact details for the regional development agencies and regional delivery partners are set out below.

Regional Development Agencies

There are nine RDAs.

Advantage West Midlands
  • 3 Priestley Wharf, Holt Street, Aston Science Park, Birmingham, B7 4BN .
  • Tel: 0121 380 3500.
  • Website: www.advantagewm.co.uk.
East Midlands Development Agency
  • Apex Court, City Link, Nottingham, NG2 4LA.
  • Tel: 0115 988 8300.
  • Website: www.emda.org.uk.
East of England Development Agency
  • The Business Centre, Station Road, Histon, Cambridge, CB4 9LQ.
  • Tel: 01223 713900.
  • Website: www.eeda.org.uk.
London Development Agency
  • Palestra, 197 Blackfriars Road, London SE1 8AA.
  • Tel: 020 7593 8000.
  • Website: www.lda.gov.uk.
North West Regional Development Agency
  • HQ, PO BOX 37, Renaissance House, Centre Park, Warrington, Cheshire, WA1 1XB.
  • Tel: 01925 400100.
  • Website: www.nwda.co.uk.
One NorthEast
  • Stella House, Goldcrest Way, Newburn Riverside, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 8ND.
  • Tel: 0191 229 6200.
  • Website: www.onenortheast.co.uk.
South East of England Development Agency
  • Cross Lanes, Guildford, GU1 1YA.
  • Tel: 01483 484200.
  • Website: www.seeda.co.uk.
South West England Regional Development Agency
Yorkshire Forward
  • Leeds (Head Office), Victoria House, Victoria Place, Leeds, LS11 5AE.
  • Tel: 0113 394 9600.
  • Website: www.yorkshire-forward.com.

Regional Delivery Partners

These are as follows.

Cumbria Tourism
East of England Tourism
East Midlands Tourism
Heart of England Tourist Board
Lancashire and Blackpool Tourist Board
The Mersey Partnership
One NorthEast Tourism Team
  • Stella House, Goldcrest Way, Newburn Riverside, Newcastle upon Tyne NE15 8NY
  • Tel: 0191 229 6200
  • Website: www.tourismnortheast.co.uk
South West Tourism
Tourism South East
Visit Chester & Cheshire
Visit London
Visit Manchester
Yorkshire Tourist Board

Other tourism bodies

Local sources of help and advice

Contacting your local authority

Throughout this service, we suggest that you contact your local authority for additional help and advice. If you live within the administrative area of a metropolitan borough council, unitary council or London borough council, then you have a single point of contact for your enquiry.

Alternatively, if you live in an area has both a borough/district council and county council, then it is advisable to call first your local borough/district council with your enquiry.

Other sources of local help

These include the following.

Tourism officer

Most local authorities have a dedicated officer responsible for tourism promotion who is able to offer a wide range of information on issues affecting the local industry. These areas of expertise include environmental health, licensing requirements, local sustainable tourism, marketing initiatives, quality assurance, and tourism trends and statistics.

Tourist Information Centre (TIC)

Your local TIC is another source of valuable information as the staff have a detailed local knowledge of the locality. For in tance, they are uniquely aware about the types of visitors who visit the area, what they are looking for and existing tourism facilities. Your local TIC may also provide a local accommodation booking service, taking a small commission on the first night's tariff.

Business Links

Your local Business Link is also there to offer you advice, information and support, whether you are just starting up or expanding your tourism business. Given that Business Link organisations work in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce, Learning and Skills Council, RDAs regional tourist board and local authority in your local area, you are able to access a wider network providing help and advice.

All local Business Links should have a small business advisor with knowledge about the special requirements of small tourism business.

  • National information line 0845 600 9006 (for more information or the contact details for your local Business Link)
  • www.businesslink.org.
Local libraries

Your local library (or the nearest town/city library) is also a good source of advice and information on local matters and government initiatives. They may also have copies of some of the publications mentioned in this booklet.

Local tourism marketing partnerships/initiatives

In certain parts of the country local authorities have come together, often in partnership with local tourism businesses, to form a local tourism marketing group or initiative, eg Hadrian's Wall country and Shakespeare country. Your regional tourist board will be able to tell you about groups and initiatives in your area and how to contact them for more information.

Other sources of help

Professional advisors

These include the following.

Lawyers for your Business (a Law Society initiative)
The Lawyers for your Business helpline is able to provide you with a list of solicitors within your area, and will offer you half an hour free consultation with a lawyer. You can also order from them a set of six free leaflets to help you in your business. Your regional tourist board may also be able to give you names of suitable local firms.
Independent financial advisors
The IFA consumer hotline is able to forward you a list of independent financial advisors or accountants in your area.

Utilities/facilities

These include the following.

CORGI (Council for Registered Gas Installers)
OFGEM (The Office of Gas and Electricity Markets)
OFCOM (Office of Communications)
OFWAT (Office of Water Services)

Trade associations

These include the following.

Bed and Breakfast Association
British Activity Holiday Association
The BAHA monitors safety standards and quality within the activity sector throughout the British Isles. BAHA also provides a detailed consumer guide which is available on request.
British Holiday and Home Parks Association
BHHPA is the representative body of the parks industry including caravans, chalets and tents and all types of self-catering park accommodation.
British Hospitality Association
The BHA represents hotels (mostly 10+ rooms), restaurants and catering establishments, and distributes guidance notes to members.
British Resorts and Destinations Association
The BRADA represents the interests of resorts and destinations throughout the UK.
  • Tel: 0151 934 2285
English Association of Self-catering Operators
The EASCO is a trade association for self-catering operators from individual owners through to the agencies and associations.
Farm Stay UK Ltd
The Farm Holiday Bureau is a co-operative of 1200 farmers throughout the UK who provide serviced and self-catering accommodation on working farms.
Holiday Care
Holiday Care, a national charity, is the UK's central source of travel and holiday information for disabled people, older people and carers.
National Caravan Council Ltd
NCC is the representative trade body for the UK caravan industry involved in setting standards and promoting quality. NCC operates the Product Approval Scheme for new caravans to ensure compliance with minimum health and safety standards.
People 1st
People 1st is the Sector Skills Council for the hospitality and tourism sector. It is the lead agency on all issues relating to education, training and qualification within the sector.

Trade publications

Bed and Breakfast News
An independent monthly subscription magazine for the owners of bed and breakfasts, guesthouses and small hotels. It includes nationwide news, views, features written by recognised specialists and exclusive special offers.

Business advice

Business skills

Use the learndirect online database of courses at www.learndirect-advice.co.uk or call on 0800 100900. Contact your local Business Link, the Business Link Helpline on 0845 600 9006, or your local library.

Funding

The Grants and Support Directory (GSD) allows you to search for potential sources of help with starting up a business or business development. It is available online at www.businesslink.gov.uk.

Finances

Contact your bank about competitive arrangements for small businesses. An accountant or financial advisor will also be able to advise you. For information on book keeping/accounts courses, contact Business Link, as above, or your local library. In certain cases, the government may be willing to act as a guarantor of loans to small business proposals. Contact your local Business Link or the Helpline, 0845 600 9006.

IT and e-commerce

Go to www.businesslink.gov.uk or contact your local Business Link and your regional tourist board.

Environment and energy helpline

Go to www.envirowise.gov.uk or phone 0800 585794.

Tourism trends in your area

Contact your regional tourist board, your local tourist information centre, or your local authority tourism officer.

VisitBritain also provides market intelligence online free of charge - see http://www.tourismtrade.org.uk/MarketIntelligenceResearch/default.asp

Marketing opportunities

Contact your regional tourist board, En oyEngland, any local tourism marketing initiative, or your local authority tourism officer.

Staff training

Contact Business Links and your regional tourist board.

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Publications Contact List

The publications mentioned within individual legislation sections are available from the following organisations.

Adventure Activities Licensing Authority

  • 44 Lambourne Crescent, Cardiff Business Park, Llanishen, Cardiff, CF14 5GG
  • Tel: 029 2075 5715
  • Website: www.aala.org

Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Services (ACAS)

  • ACAS Readers Ltd PO Box 16, Earl Shilton, Leicester LE9 8ZZ
  • National helpline: 08457 474747
  • Orderline: 0870 242 9090
  • Website: www.acas.org.uk

Advertising Standards Authority (ASA)

Chadwick House Group

  • Tel: 020 7827 5853

Commission for Racial Equality

Communities and Local Government

  • Eland House, Bressenden Place, London SW1E 5DU
  • Helpline: 020 7944 4400 (08:30-17:30 Mon-Fri)
  • Online information: www.communities.gov.uk

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

  • Defra Publications, Admail 6000, London SW1 A2XX
  • Orderline: 0845 955 6000
  • Online information: www.defra.gov.uk

Department for Transport

  • DfT Free Literature, PO Box 236, Wetherby, West Yorkshire, LS23, 7NB
  • Publications enquiries: 020 7944 8300
  • Online information: www.dft.gov.uk

Department of Health

Department of Trade and Industry

Equal Opportunities Commission

Food Standards Agency

Health and Safety Executive

  • HSE Books, PO Box 1999, Sudbury, Suffolk, CO10 2WA
  • Orderline: 01787 881165
  • Online catalogue: www.hsebooks.co.uk
  • HSE Infoline: 0845 345 0055

Note! Many of HSE priced publications should be available from good booksellers.

HM Revenue and Customs

Home Office Communication Directorate/ Publicity

Information Commissioner's Office

  • Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF
  • Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF
  • Helpline: 01625 545745
  • Notification helpline: 01625 545740
  • Website: www.ico.gov.uk

National Minimum Wage Information Line

  • Tel: 0845 8450 360

Office of Fair Trading

The Stationery Office

  • Stationery Office Ltd, 123 Kings Way, London WC2B 6PQ
  • Orderline: 0870 600 5522
  • Online information: www.tso.co.uk

The Stationery Office also has its own bookshops in some major cities. In addition, you may be able to buy some of priced publication from good booksellers.

Trading Standards Agency

Valuation Office Agency

For enquiries about business rates, council tax, etc: back to top

Definitions and Explanations

The following definitions aim to clarify terms used throughout the text.

Employer

Anyone who has employees.

Employee

Anyone who works for you under a contract of employment. This may be a formal written contract, or it may be an oral agreement, or even just implied. Note! in some instances deciding whether someone is an employee or not can be a complex area of law, professional legal help may be required.

Hotel and private hotel

The term "hotel" can be used in its everyday, general sense. However it is also a term defined under the Hotel Proprietors Act 1956 to clarify certain rights and responsibilities that are attached to being a Hotel (as defined), rather than any other type of accommodation premises. These rights and responsibilities include (a) a responsibility for guests' luggage and belongings, (b) the right to keep guests' luggage, and (c) the right to turn guests away.

For these purposes:
  • A hotel is an establishment that offers (i) food, (ii) drink, (iii) sleeping accommodation, to anybody who appears able and willing to pay and who is in a fit state to be received. Note! "drink" does not have to be alcoholic.
  • A private hotel is any serviced accommodation establishment that is not a hotel. For example, you will be a private hotel if:
    • you do not provide food and/or drink
    • you can pick and choose your guests, even if you have a free room
    • you have an advertised policy of "no children" or "no coaches", etc
    • you can only book in advance.

Serviced accommodation

Includes hotels, hostels, guesthouses, bed and breakfasts, farmhouses and inns.

So far as is reasonably practicable

Occurs frequently in health and safety legislation. It means that you have to do what is reasonable taking account of the level of the risk and the time, trouble and expense involved in removing or minimising it. If the risk is low, it is not reasonable to commit significant resources. If the risk is higher, it is reasonable to have to commit significant resources. Your own financial position is not, though, a factor. For example, if your property is old with low door frames and beams, there is a high risk of someone banging their head but a low risk of someone being seriously injured, it is therefore reasonably practicable for you to put up warnings, but not to structurally alter the premises.

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National Quality Assurance Standards

Since 2006 VisitBritain, in common with most regional and destination partners, will only promote quality-assessed accommodation in its marketing, press and PR activities. A quality product is vital to Britain's reputation as a destination. To ensure that every visitor has access to the very best that Britain has to offer, VisitBritain underpins all its marketing activities with a wholehearted commitment to improving the quality and welcome of the visitor experience.

Marketing benefits of participation

There is no compulsory registration, and accommodation businesses can choose whether to opt for quality assessment. However, there are membership benefits to be aware of.

All quality-assessed accommodation is promoted on the VisitBritain.com and EnjoyEngland.com websites. Additional benefits are available to VisitBritain assessed properties in England. Press and PR opportunities, overseas sales missions and the full range of marketing opportunities are open to all quality-assessed properties in Britain.

New star ratings

Since 2006 the four assessing bodies (mentioned below) have reached agreement on what is known as 'Common Standards'. Not only will they assess serviced and self-catering accommodation to the same criteria, but this also ends the confusion previously caused by crowns, diamonds, stars, keys, ticks, to name a few of the previous symbols.

Since January 2006 all the agencies award stars to denote the quality rating achieved and new designators (eg town house hotel, metro hotel, restaurant with rooms, guesthouse) will give customers additional information to help them find the style of accommodation they want. The aim is to reduce confusion and avoid misleading the customer.

Choice of assessing body

Four agencies currently offer this service:
  • VisitBritain
  • the AA
  • VisitScotland
  • Visit Wales.

Quality assessment means that an independent assessor has visited every year, supplied a written report and, in the case of hotels and B&Bs, has stayed overnight as a 'mystery' guest at least one year in three.

To find out more, contact the relevant organisation below.

VisitBritain quality contact

  • Quality in Tourism (for assessments in England only)
  • Farncombe House
  • Broadway
  • Worcestershire WR12 7LJ
  • Tel 0845 300 6996
  • Website: www.qualityintourism.com
  • Email: qualityintourism@gslglobal.com

VisitScotland quality contact

Visit Wales quality contact

  • Ty Glyndwr
  • Forge Road
  • Machynlleth
  • Powys SY20 8WW
  • Tel: 0845 0108020
  • Website: www.wales.gov.uk/tourism
  • Email: tourism.industryadvice@wales.gsi.gov.uk

The AA

VisitBritain's Quality Assessment Schemes

VisitBritain has invested heavily in its own Quality Assessment schemes which are available to all accommodation and attraction operators in England. For the accommodation sector, the administration, marketing and assessing has been contracted to Quality in Tourism, who operate the different schemes on VisitBritain's behalf.

A range of accommodation schemes are available covering:
  • hotels
  • guest accommodation
  • budget hotel brands
  • holiday villages
  • holiday, touring and camping parks
  • self-catering accommodation
  • serviced apartments
  • boats
  • hostels
  • spas (new for 2007).

Already some 23,000 separate accommodation businesses participate in the accommodation schemes and take advantage of the marketing opportunities that VisitBritain offers its participants, as well as the annual assessment visit and feedback report.

VisitBritain quality ratings

Each scheme awards stars (1-5) to give a clear indication of the accommodation standard, taking in to account the cleanliness, ambience, hospitality, service and food. The ratings provide visitors with the reassurance they need to help them chose their accommodation. Generally, the more stars, the higher the quality of accommodation.

New since 2006 is a wider range of designators such as 'town house hotel', 'country house hotel' and 'restaurant with rooms', which will give visitors even clearer information when making their choice.

Additional benefits of participation in VisitBritain's Quality Assessment

Additional benefits (beyond the general benefits mentioned above and the annual assessment by a Quality in Tourism professional assessor) include:
  • eligibility for inclusion in local destination accommodation guides and regional marketing campaigns, most of which only promote star-rated accommodation
  • free entry with image on EnjoyEngland.com and VisitBritain.com and linked international gateway websites operated by VisitBritain and opportunity to link to your online booking pages
  • free use of EnjoyEngland Quality Rose for your own marketing
  • listing in next edition of appropriate VisitBritain Guide to quality-assessed accommodation in England
  • access to reader offers and press editorials provided by VisitBritain.

For further information see VisitBritain quality contact above.

The Quality Rose

Promotion of the 'Quality Rose', the symbol of VisitBritain's guarantee that accommodation has been independently assessed and graded, started in earnest in January 2006 with radio and national press adverts.

Regional and destination partners are being encouraged to mirror the promotion in their own marketing material and industry participants will all be given a free EnjoyEngland sign to display outside their establishment.

A suite of consumer leaflets has been published which explain the star ratings of each scheme. These can be obtained at all Tourist Information Centres.

Visitor attractions

A visitor attraction quality assessment service (VAQAS) is also in operation, delivered in England by a professional team of VisitBritain assessors. VAQAS was launched nationally in 2001.

This consumer-focused quality assessment of visitor attractions helps to identify strengths of an attraction and highlights development areas, based on industry examples. A wide range of attractions throughout England of all sizes, both large and small, have benefited from participation in the service.

For further information please go to www.vaqas.org.uk or phone 0208 563 3309. For attractions in Scotland and Wales, please contact VisitScotland quality contact and Visit Wales quality contact (contact details above).

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