Lodging restarts on Friday with restrictions

Submitted by tim on Tue, 05/19/2020 - 06:35

Vermont Business Magazine Last Friday, Governor Phil Scott announced new guidance for the reopening of lodging establishments. Effective this Friday, May 22, lodging operations, short-term rentals, campgrounds, and marinas may accept overnight reservations from Vermont residents and those who have met the 14-day quarantine requirement.

To clarify, the quarantine requirement must be completed after arrival in Vermont and cannot be completed at a commercial lodging establishment. This means that any out-of-state guests must have already been in Vermont for 14 days prior to checking in (e.g. staying with family or at a second home). Reservations for those that cannot meet the quarantine requirement need to be cancelled through June 15, and may need to be cancelled beyond June 15 depending on further guidance.

The Vermont Department of Tourism & Marketing encourage operators to read the entire guidance as there are many operational mandates required for reopening (see Restart section below), including only booking to 25% of capacity, no dine-in food service, and all guests must complete a health questionnaire.

RESTART RESOURCES

In addition to sector specific guidance, there are a series of mandatory health and safety requirements all businesses must follow to prepare for reopening. ACCD has developed a business restart guide with the health and safety requirements, as well as safety plan and signage templates available for download. For the lodging sector, the quarantine certificate of compliance and a sample guest health questionnaire are also available.

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VERMONTER LODGING PACKAGES

With Vermonters currently the most likely people to be guests at lodging establishments, VDTM would like to help spread the word to fellow residents. If there are operators who are developing or already offering Vermonter-specific lodging packages, let us know so we can promote those options as the department ramps up marketing efforts in state to encourage Vermonters to support Vermont businesses. All lodging packages can be sent to Sara DeFilippi ([email protected]).

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TOURISM MARKETING UPDATE

VDTM is launching a Memorial Day Weekend marketing campaign over the next few days to drive traffic to Vermont’s lodging properties and outdoor attractions, as well as offering safe ways to explore different parts of the state throughout the holiday weekend.

This campaign will kick off a larger marketing effort over the next few months to keep the state’s tourism economy top of mind as Vermonters begin to make summer plans or rebook vacations closer to home. We will be building a phased campaign that will eventually target visitors beyond the state’s border when the time is right. To start, VDTM will be developing a toolkit of creative assets and content as part of the campaign to be shared with local communities, chambers, or marketing groups that would like to participate. Stay tuned for more details in the weeks ahead.

Source: Vermont Department of Tourism & Marketing