minister for tourism wales

Exciting new vision for Welsh visitor economy

Gweledigaeth gyffrous newydd ar gyfer economi ymwelwyr cymru.

First Minister Mark Drakeford and Deputy Minister for Tourism Lord Elis-Thomas will today unveil an exciting future for the visitor economy in Wales.

The Welsh Government will publish its five-year plan to grow the visitor economy, focusing on Wales’ strengths – its landscapes, culture and places.

The new plan – Welcome to Wales: Priorities for the Visitor Economy 2020-25 – will be backed by two funds to support the industry: A new £10m fund - Brilliant Basics to support the all-important tourism infrastructure which will complement the £50m Wales Tourism Investment Fund focusing on high-quality, reputation-changing products.

Welcome to Wales and the new funding will help to tackle some of the main challenges facing the tourism industry in Wales – seasonality, spend and spread.

Launching the new vision today in Porthcawl, First Minister Mark Drakeford said:

“Over the past decade, tourism in Wales has been transformed, but there’s room for further growth in our visitor economy and we want to support that. 

 “Our new plan, with its priorities, strike the right balance between economic growth and our wider wellbeing as a country. We want to develop high-quality, year-round experiences, which are good for visitors and host communities. Sustainable growth can deliver health, environmental and cultural benefits by protecting and promoting our strengths.

“There are challenges facing the industry, including from Brexit. We believe the best response is to continue with our core business – to recognise tourism’s ongoing potential to act as a bedrock for the Welsh economy in projecting a positive message of and from Wales.”

Welcome to Wales highlights two main ideas of ‘Bro’ and ‘Byd’ – getting tourism right at a local level and ensuring the Welsh tourism offer can compete on the international stage.

The main actions over the next five years include:

• A £10m fund to invest in Brilliant Basics to support the all-important tourism infrastructure, which is part of delivering a high quality visitor experience from 2020-25.
• A focus on high quality, reputation-changing products. A £50m Wales Tourism Investment Fund – delivered in partnership with the Development Bank of Wales – to help finance reputation capital investment projects.
• Building on the success of the Events strategy, Event Wales will be set up to develop, grow and attract cultural, business and sporting events. This recognises the vital all-year role events play in attracting people to Wales.
• Visit Wales will focus on products and on developing experiences, which reflect Wales’ stand-out strengths as a country.
• Visit Wales will focus more of marketing efforts on growing off-peak tourism, encouraging people to spend more in Wales and spread the benefit of tourism.
• Two new themed years will be announced for 2022 and 2024.

Nearly one in 10 people across Wales works in tourism, which brings jobs to people throughout Wales. Tourism is on track to meet the 10% growth target set seven years ago – Wales has welcomed record numbers of UK visitors over the last five years and the value of domestic tourism grew by 14% last year.

Lord Elis-Thomas, Deputy Minister for Culture Sport and Tourism, said: 

“We want to build on our recent success and by 2025 we want to be known as a place that offers world-leading adventure, creative culture and language and outstanding, protected landscapes – and a place that wants to look after them for future generations.

“I’d like to thank the industry for the part it has played in developing this new plan and its priorities. 

“It has been very clear that the long-term growth of our own sector relies on caring for the things that attract people here in the first place. It is also what future markets will expect.”

Notes to editors

Dropbox – including:

• short form plan of Welcome to Wales: Priorities for the Visitor Economy 2020-25
• Images from the plan
• Year of Outdoors campaign film

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/yhpfep68ey153ea/AACgRn-zJyh06fw7huE2FVIxa?dl=0

The full plan and supporting documents will be available on https://businesswales.gov.wales/tourism/  following the launch.

The launch takes place at the newly opened, Rest Bay Watersports Centre, Porthcawl which is part of  Visit Wales’ Tourism Attractor Destination programme, supported by £2.55m of EU and Welsh Government funding.  Joining the First Minister and Deputy Minister for Tourism will be members of the industry which will also take part in a panel discussion led by adventurer and presenter Lowri Morgan.  The Panel includes: Ben Clifford – Surfability; Paula Ellis - Retreats Group; Tracey Evans – Outdoor Partnership; Andrew Campbell  - Wales Tourism Alliance and Huw Stephens – presenter and DJ

Supportive comments  - Launch Panel members

Paula Ellis – General Manager, Retreats Group : “Wales has immense potential to be recognised as a world class destination. We need to capitalise on our unique sense of place, language and culture, combined with more quality products to raise our profile on a truly international stage. Our success at Retreats Group is attributed to treating our colleagues as our internal guests which has enabled us to address the skills gap in the most challenging of locations. Every guest is be perceived as a PR agent to help us promote the ‘Croeso Cynnes Cymreig’ of this unique Celtic country.”

Tracey Evans – Outdoor Partnership : “Wales is full of opportunities for tourists as well as local people to safely enjoy our great outdoors for health and economic advantages as well as enhancing and supporting the unique culture and history of Wales.” 

Ben Clifford – Surfability, said : “Wales is incredible — all this green and blue space —  and if you’re denied access to that because of a disability,  it’s such a shame. So it’s important that we make those spaces accessible to everyone. Surfing is great physical exercise, and it really connects you to the world around you and the environment. Being present and focused in the moment, while simultaneously being outdoors in the fresh air and exercising — the benefits are incredible.  The techniques we’ve developed in Wales are becoming part of the worldwide standard. Our own community benefits, too. Our volunteers get the chance to work with people in their community, making it a better place.”

Andrew Campbell, Wales Tourism Alliance , said: “Effective engagement between the private and public sectors is hugely important. Success depends on partnership and collaboration, so we need to forge relationships that make the best possible use of resources. The objectives of any priorities plan will be better achieved if we all collaborate closely. We’re all on the same journey together. We need to work in a greener and more environmentally efficient way, but sustainability also means sustaining communities. Tourism creates jobs in places that other industries don’t. This sector deserves to be taken seriously.”

Main aspects of the plan

Outstanding visitor experiences

• A £10m fund has been announced today to invest in Brilliant Basics to support the all-important tourism infrastructure which is part of delivering a high quality visitor experience.  This funding will also be used to ensure that Wales is an inclusive and accessible destination for all.
• Visit Wales will work with the industry to support an industry led Tourism Skills Partnership to explore a range of ways to raise status of the sector to future generations of workers.

World Class Products and places

• A £50m Wales Tourism Investment Fund (WTIF) – delivered in partnership with the Development Bank of Wales – will help finance reputation capital investment projects.
• In recognition of the vital role events play in in attracting people to Wales and building on the success of our Events Strategy we will establish Event Wales to also encompass business events.  An ‘Event Wales’ conference in the spring of 2020 will be an opportunity to engage further with the sector, in order to help shape the future and take account of an ongoing independent review of the events criteria
• Visit Wales will move to focus on products and on developing experiences that reflect Wales’s stand-out strengths as a country - these are Outstanding Natural Landscapes, Creative Culture and Epic Adventure.  Initially the focus will be on the Wales Coast Path, Offa’s Dyke and National Trails; Golf; Heritage Tourism and Film and TV; Mountain Biking and Cycling.

An Innovative Cymru Wales Brand

• We will continue to deliver a bold and integrated brand for Wales, harnessing tourism’s potential to present Wales to the world as a welcoming, vibrant destination.
• Visit Wales will commit resources to ensuring that digital first marketing efforts are focused on growing off-peak tourism, encouraging people to spend more in Wales and is spreading the benefit of tourism and tackling over-tourism by inspiring visitors to discover more of Wales.
• Visit Wales will launch a major new campaign for Wales for the next 3–5 years and announce new themed years for 2022 and 2024.

An engaged and vibrant sector 

We will recognise, coordinate and harness the contribution a wide range of partners can make.

Calls for dedicated Welsh Government minister to help tourism sector bounce back post-pandemic

• Wales tourism
• Coronavirus
• Monday 24 May 2021 at 11:39am

As the tourism industry in Wales fights to get fit for the post pandemic world there are calls for the Welsh Government to appoint a Minister for Tourism to take responsibility for the challenges that lie ahead.

There are major challenges in returning to normal levels of visitor spend, which in an average year is estimated at £17m a day - around £6.3bn a year.

"We would like to see tourism right at the heart of Welsh Government thinking,'' Chair of Wales Tourism Alliance Andrew Campbell said.

"We have made a call to have a Cabinet minister appointment as a tourism minister and we think that would be good.''

But in his recent Cabinet appointments the First Minister, Mark Drakeford made it clear that he had other plans.

He said: "I have put tourism in the portfolio of the Economy Minister. I wanted it to be there in one of the most powerful drivers of our future and I think that's where it belongs. Not as a sort of adjunct of its own but there as part of that powerful economic future.''

Cardiff Airport CEO calls for support for aviation industry

This summer the tourism industry in Wales has a big opportunity to recoup its losses.

That’s important because even those who have weathered the storm still face a huge shortfall in income.

"We had a real problem, it was all about survival but we did manage to get the sector open,'' Andrew Campbell said.

''I think if we extrapolate from the Visit Britain figures about the impact and decline in visitor spend in the UK, if we extrapolate that for Wales, we can probably say that Wales has lost four billion pounds in visitor spend last year.''

With uncertainty about foreign travel more people than ever before could choose Wales this summer. Swapping Lanzarote for Llandudno and Benidorm for Barry Island. 

"My holiday plans this year - I'm going to go to my caravan in Aberystwyth, sunny Wales,'' one person said.

"I don't fancy travelling abroad at the moment given all these different variants.''

Another said: ''My holiday plans are to go to Scotland this year. I can't go abroad because of the Covid so we thought we'd have a little UK break.''

This upsurge in demand for holidays in Wales has been good news for holiday park owner Huw Pendleton. During the pandemic, while the business was shut down, he took a chance on the future and invested nearly two million pounds .

For bigger businesses with capacity to expand the shake up caused by the pandemic might pay off.

He said: "It was a significant investment but it was an opportunity to make the most out of a bad job.''

It seems it was a risk worth taking. But for holidaymakers the flip side of the coin is less availability.

"Normally as an industry I think it's fair to say we probably work with about six to eight week lead time from people booking to arriving but we've got very limited availability until September," Huw said.

"There are still pockets but it's more limited. Beyond September we have very strong bookings which again it indicates that provided we're able to stay open it should be quite a good season but that said we've invested very heavily this year."

While some holidaymakers may be finding it hard to find the ideal break, others are choosing not to take a holiday at all because they can’t find a bargain that suits their pocket.

So, it seems there are winners and losers in this turbulent time. Investors who are betting on a growing tourism industry, families desperate for a break and an industry calling for the Welsh Government to prioritise them .

But the most important thing is to make sure visitors have the best possible experience.

''It's a great country, Wales,'' Andrew Campbell said.

''It's full of big open spaces, eight thousand square miles, three million people, there's plenty of room. That's what people want. They want plenty of room and they're breaking out of their houses and they want space. Wales delivers space. So with space and good weather and a warm Welsh welcome. That's what it's all about.''

You can see more on this story on Wales This Week , tonight at 8:00pm on ITV Cymru Wales

Achieving sustainable and fair tourism

A warm Welsh welcome. That’s what people from Wales, England and further afield can expect to receive when they visit the spectacular tourist destinations we have to offer.

With our thriving cities, epic landscapes and coastal towns and villages there’s something for everyone in Wales – and we want to show it off. And to be able to continue doing this, we need to make sure communities are supported.

The visitor levy is one of the ways we’re looking to support tourism, in the interests of businesses, communities and visitors alike.

A levy is about sustainability and fairness. Sustainability, because keeping our coastline clean, our parks pristine and our cities vibrant takes work – and a levy will help communities maintain our beautiful destinations for generations in the future. And fairness, because the infrastructure which supports tourism should be funded by all those who rely on it, not local residents alone.

Our vision is to grow tourism for the good of Wales. A visitor levy will contribute to sustainable, fair tourism – with economic growth coexisting with environmental sustainability.

Nothing is happening overnight; the process of creating legislation and implementing a levy would take many years.

The specific detail of the proposal is still being developed, we are using responses to the consultation and wider evidence to help inform the design. The levy would apply to overnight visits in commercially-let visitor accommodation in Local Authority areas that choose to use a levy. This is generally the case in other countries where visitor levies are used. The levy will be a small charge that contributes towards sustainable tourism.

We want visitors to know that their contribution could make a big difference in supporting the destinations they love and enjoy. A small charge wouldn’t be unique to Wales. If someone has been on holiday to Greece or France, to the Netherlands or New Zealand – or to any of more than 40 countries around the world who have visitor levies – they will have paid a small charge to help keep those places attractive to visit. They may not even have noticed paying it.

While Manchester have recently introduced a £1 per room charge visitor levy and Scotland are proceeding with legislative proposals, the UK nations look to be outliers in not asking tourists to pay a small charge to support the areas they are visiting. A levy will put Wales on the same standing as other world class tourist destinations. So why not Wales?

It is also important to remember that we are proposing to give councils the option of introducing a levy. The scale and economic impact of tourism varies significantly across Wales. Our plans would give local areas the power to decide if a levy would be right for them.

The idea for the levy originated from a public debate and call for ideas about new taxes in Wales. As we take forward this process we will continue to be open and transparent, listening to all who want to have their say. We have already been speaking to businesses, third sector representatives, councils, industry bodies and counterparts in overseas administrations who have visitor levies in place.

We know how important tourism is to so many parts of Wales, and it’s vital we have sustainable, responsible tourism that works both for visitors and for the communities they’re visiting.

The visitor levy is being taken forward as part of the Co-operation Agreement signed between the Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru .

The consultation for the Visitor Levy proposals closed on 13 December 2022 and the summary of outputs can be reviewed via: Discretionary visitor levy for local authorities | GOV.WALES

We announced next steps for the policy via Written Statement on the 30 March 2023.

Written by Rebecca Evans, Welsh Government Minister for Finance and Local Government, and Cefin Campbell, Plaid Cymru Designated Member.

Darllenwch y dudadlen hon yn y Gymraeg .

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I live in north wales and always holiday in south west wales but I will not be very happy paying extra

Need to have information as to how this will work, tourists don’t necessarily enter through Cardiff airport, can understand why Pen y Fan and Snowdonia walkers should pay a fee

A tourism tax or as you’ve ‘re named it visitors levy is the last thing you should be looking into at the moment. As if this country (UK) isn’t expensive enough and heading into recession. No one minds a tax \ levy if your visiting a country with cheap food, alcohol, accommodation and endless sun like Spain, Wales cannot offer this. Both Scotland & England have considered & turned this idea. As for supporting local communities ??? How ? beaches we cant walk on until out of season, parking we still have to pay for ? If you don’t work in the tourism industry then we often suffer all the inconvenience of tourism & non of the benefits ie traffic, poor parking, trespass on our farming land, damage to crops & livestock, no access for deliveries, emergency services or farm equipment etc. Surely in these frightening times with covid still in the picture and residents still unable to see a basic GP the Welsh Government & Councils should be looking at how they can support the residents not price itself out of tourism 🤔

Utter madness to even think about it. It will just deter tourism big time.

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Former Shadow Tourism Minister joins Wales Tourism Alliance

The Wales Tourism Alliance, which represents almost 7000 tourism businesses across Wales, has appointed a former Shadow Minister for Tourism to join the company as its new Consultant Advocate.

Lisa Francis served a term as an elected member of the then National Assembly for Wales and was the Conservative spokesperson for tourism, transport, culture and Welsh language, with further responsibility for developing the Assembly’s own procedural rules.

First hand experience

A former proprietor of the Queensbridge Hotel in Aberystwyth, she was also a Director of Mid Wales Tourism and Tourism Advisor to Nominet UK.  

She has worked with an AM and MP, supporting them with research, media and constituents’ casework and, as a freelancer, offered bespoke advice to small tourism businesses caught up in the complicated interest rate swap scandal.

Lisa, a Welsh speaker, has been appointed after Adrian Greason-Walker announced he was stepping down from the role.

Suzy Davies, Chair of the Wales Tourism Alliance said: “We will certainly miss Adrian who is well-known to members, allies and politicians alike.

“He has been one of the most recognisable and trusted faces in Welsh tourism for decades and we have been fortunate that he spent so much time with us at the WTA.   We wish him all the very best in his next endeavours.

“However, we are very much looking forward to working with Lisa.”

Suzy continued: “She has a wealth of relevant experience and connections in the industry.   It is a time of opportunity for tourism but there is no getting away from the fact it is also a time of extreme pressure and challenge, unlike anything we have experienced before.

“Many people working in tourism will know what a champion Lisa has been in the past and will agree that this is a great appointment.”

Speaking about the announcement, Lisa Francis said: “I am thrilled and delighted to be working with the Wales Tourism Alliance – the ‘Voice of the Industry’.

” Hospitality and tourism are in my blood; this is an industry I care passionately about and I very much look forward to working with the WTA team from April.”

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Plans unveiled for statutory registration and licensing scheme for visitor accommodation in Wales

Plans to introduce a statutory registration and licensing scheme for all visitor accommodation in Wales have been announced by the Deputy Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Dawn Bowden today with legislation expected to be introduced to the Senedd before the end of the year.

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The registration and licensing scheme is intended to deliver a register of visitor accommodation types and to enable providers to demonstrate compliance with safety and quality requirements.

It is intended to enhance the visitor experience and visitor safety expectations in Wales by ensuring anyone who lets out visitor accommodation meets a relevant set of standards.

This follows a public consultation, extensive engagement with the sector, as well as a recently published survey that found 89% of visitors considered it important the accommodation they stay in is operating safely.

Many parts of the world have already adopted licensing, certification or registration schemes across their visitor accommodation sectors and the Welsh Government has been considering best practice to design one that is simple and easy to use for accommodation providers in Wales.

Across the UK, Northern Ireland has had a certification scheme established for all visitor accommodation since 1992, with Scotland having recently introduced a licensing scheme for short term lets. The UK Government is also pursuing a registration approach for short term lets.

In Wales, the first phase will be a statutory registration scheme for all accommodation providers, which will – for the first time – provide a register on the broad range of visitor accommodation available across the country and will include details on who is operating in the sector, where they are operating, and how they are operating.

Deputy Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Dawn Bowden said: 

“Tourism makes an important contribution to the Welsh economy and to Welsh life so this information will be crucial in helping us better understand the sector, as well as helping to inform future policy decisions at a local and national level. “The visitor economy is changing rapidly, and while the growth of online booking platforms has brought many benefits, there are concerns around compliance with existing requirements and the impact of short-term lets on housing stock and our communities. “I’d like to thank businesses across the visitor economy for the enormous resilience they’ve shown through the unprecedented challenges of recent years. The input from the sector, visitors and communities has been invaluable to our work so far. We will continue this engagement as we develop the scheme.”

Once a registration scheme is fully established, the intention is to follow with a licensing scheme for all visitor accommodation. This will initially focus on confirming compliance with safety requirements visitor accommodation providers should already be meeting, before looking at introducing quality standards at a later stage.

The Welsh Government’s Co-operation Agreement with Plaid Cymru commits to a statutory licensing scheme for holiday lets as part of a package of measures to address the negative impact second homes and short-term holiday lets can have on the availability and affordability of housing for local people in communities.

Designated Member Siân Gwenllian said: 

“Our plans for a statutory registration and licensing scheme for all visitor accommodation in Wales will help ensure the safety of visitors and seek to enhance the visitor experience. “The plans will also create a more sustainable tourism offer – delivered in line with the needs and concerns of communities, particularly around housing.  “This will result in strengthened controls on residential properties operating as short-term holiday lets, leading to greater fair play for all.”

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Welsh Government First Minister says working in office good for 'workforce and mental health'

The new Welsh Government First Minister says working in an office rather than at home is "good for the workforce and mental health" as they reassess the push towards remote working.

Welsh Government has been a strong advocate for remote working and came under fire when North Wales Live revealed a plan to fine workers for not home working as Wales emerged from the pandemic - a move that was later dropped.

This continued as Covid eased with Lee Waters MS, then Deputy Minister for Climate Change, announcing a target in 2022 for 30% of the workforce in Wales to be working remotely on a regular basis. He cited benefits on climate emissions by reducing travelling and also the work/life balance for staff.

But this week First Minister Eluned Morgan said they were "reassessing" where they are on this issue - and talked up the benefits of people coming to the office. These included people's mental health as well as supporting high streets in Wales - although she added that some people "really appreciated" the home working option.

READ MORE: Wales's new First Minister on when 20mph roads could change and Betsi health board challenges

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She told North Wales Live: "We are in a period of adjustment after Covid - we are still seeing people work from home more than perhaps they did before. That's not necessarily a bad thing but I think we'll see readjustment and more people come in to the office in the future.

"I think it is probably good for the workforce and good for mental health and other issues, particularly young people starting work, they need a bit more support."

She was asked if the Welsh Government policies had changed on this issue.

She said: "We have to reassess where we are on that - there is a lot to be said and lot of people appreciate working from home. But it can be hard, particularly for young people.

"It(working in an office) is important for things like work experience and that is really helpful for a lot of kids, particularly ones from poorer backgrounds. Things like that do matter.

"All of these concepts, we have to continually review them and adapt to the new situation."

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