March 2020: Issue 5
Important Coronavirus Surveys & Visit Wales eNews updates
You are likely to receive lots of emails from organisations doing various surveys over the coming weeks which could be tiresome as time goes on. We would however ask you to complete the official Welsh Government survey as this will be used directly to inform WG policy as the crisis unfolds. 

PLEASE COMPLETE THIS SURVEY ASAP
Keeping your Guestlink accommodation availability up to date
MWT accommodation members all have a business listing page on visitmidwales.co.uk and showmewales.co.uk. With all accommodation businesses in Wales now closed to visitors, and to save you the task of closing all your property availability, we have instructed our web developers to close all your availability until 31st May 2020 this will happen automatically next Wednesday and will review this as the situation changes.

Please note if you have channels linked eg Expedia, Booking.com, Air BnB, this will automatically close these channels for you as well.
Update your Google 'My Business' account details
Google My Business is a free and easy-to-use tool for businesses and organizations to manage their online presence across Google, including Search and Maps. If you verify and edit your business information, you can both help customers find your business and tell them your story.

Google 'How to' guides can be found on https://support.google.com/business/answer/3039617?#hours

Mark a location temporarily closed on Google My Business

A business owner with a Google My Business account, you can directly update your business or any of your locations as "Temporarily Closed" on Google. status to reopen and that change will be effective immediately.

How to update your Business Profile to make your profile appear as temporarily closed on Google Maps and Search:

  • On your computer, sign in to Google My Business.
  • In the menu on the left, click Info.
  • To the right, point to the section “Close this business on Google.”
  • To expand this section you might need to click the arrow.
  • Click Mark as temporarily closed.
  • If you have multiple profiles, select the profile you want to change then follow steps 2 and 3 to mark your businesses as temporarily closed.

Tip: If your business has temporarily adjusted hours and non-persistent closures, use the “special hours” feature to keep your customers up to date.

Guestlink+ Diary
The Guestlink team are providing the Guestlink+ Diary tool free of charge for the next 3 months. This will enable members to try this option and make it much easier for you to for instance re-book visitors later in the year, track payments etc.

To sign up simply logon to your GL account, select 'My Guestlink>>Online sign up and select 'GL+ Diary.

If you don't currently have a 'Book Now' option on your website,. this is an ideal time to sort this out. If in doubt or to talk this through just call Zoe or Val on 01654 702653 and we will advise you on your individual options.
MWT CYMRU FACEBOOK GROUP
If you haven't already, please make sure you join us on our MWT Cymru Facebook Members Group. There has been a lot of activity over the last few days with members sharing information. This is the fastest way to receive updates as they happen.