Hotels in England get green light to open on 17 May
Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed the next phase out of lockdown will go ahead across England with indoor hospitality set to resume from 17 May.
In a boost for the industry, overnight stays in hotels, hostels and B&Bs are permitted from 17 May.
School trips with overnight stays can now also go ahead.
Self-catering accommodation such as holiday parks were permitted to open last month.
It also sees the return of indoor service at pubs, bars and restaurants but patrons must stay in groups of no more than six or two households, and there is no standing at the bar.
"This unlocking amounts to a very considerable step on the road back to normality and I am confident that we will be able to go further," Johnson said.
It was welcomed by UKHospitality.
"There is a huge sense of relief within the sector, in particular for the six in 10 venues that were not able to reopen over recent weeks due to a lack of outdoor space," said UKHospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls
"However, with significant restrictions still in place, this is a psychological opening rather than an economic one, with the profitability of the sector still a huge issue. This is why sticking to the roadmap and the removal of all restrictions by 21 June is absolutely crucial."
"Hospitality, as it emerges from restrictions, is still in a fragile state and continued government support will be critical."
The PM said the government is ‘on track’ to announce further lockdown easing to take effect from 21 June.
Additionally, movie theatres, museums, concert halls, conference centres and sports stadiums can reopen with certain capacity limits.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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