3. Will the First Minister make a statement on the importance of investment in tourism in north Wales? OAQ(5)0216(FM)

Our tourism strategy sets out our priorities in supporting the tourism industry, including capital and development funding, along with marketing and promotional activities.

Thank you. On Friday I was at a well-attended meeting of the Flintshire Tourism Association discussing the value of the visitor economy to north-east Wales. I welcome the Welsh Labour manifesto commitment and the Cabinet Secretary’s plans to create a culture corridor across the A55, which includes new signage to mark out our amazing heritage and tourism assets in the region. First Minister, do you agree with the value of this, and can you give an update on the progress of the enhanced signage?

Yes. I can say that Visit Wales is currently developing proposals for new tourism routes across Wales, including a project to do more to promote culture and heritage attractions along the A55, in order, of course, for people to spend more time in that area. There are many of us in this Chamber who will have heard from people who’ve said, ‘Yes, I’ve travelled along the A55 on the way to Ireland’, but they haven’t stopped. We need more of those people to stop and, of course, more people to make the north of Wales their destination in the first place.

Tourism sector representatives in Flintshire and across north Wales have told me the Welsh Government needs to respond to the £40 million provided by Visit England for tourism marketing there, and to acknowledge how it proposes to address the fund there already being distributed. How, therefore, do you respond to their concern that Wales needs to be aware of the increased resources close to our border, such as Chester, Cheshire, Shropshire, Bristol and Bath, with the potential to encourage English staycation and avert English and overseas visitors from Wales?

We’re aware of it, but of course, our tourism statistics show that more people are visiting Wales. Particularly, more people are visiting Wales from abroad. That’s been quite significant over the past year. We market Wales on the basis of themed years, and so, this year is the Year of Adventure. We know that the sector is worth £481 million to the Welsh economy, and of course, the north will play a very important part in the Year of Adventure plans. We’ve been working very closely with businesses in order for that to happen. So, whilst of course we keep an eye on our competitors, we know, from the figures that we have for tourism, that Wales has been successful in attracting more and more visitors.

Of course, one of the priorities now is to extend the tourism season so that we can provide jobs to the people of north Wales throughout the year. Can you tell us what your Government is doing to try and achieve that and how you would use any additional resources that could be allocated to tourism to achieve that?

You have to have activities that are available throughout the year. Surf Snowdonia is one example of what we’ve supported, and Zip Word and Bounce Below—we’ve supported them. Of course, it’s important to say that tourism shouldn’t be completely seasonal, because of course it then creates a situation where people aren’t in employment throughout the year. So, by supporting such all-year-round activities, it’s important that we can bring the people in throughout the winter, as well as the summer.

First Minister, could we have some more detail on how the Welsh Government proposes to market north Wales as a holiday destination, please?

We have a tourism investment support scheme. It’s made offers of funding to 42 businesses in the north, totalling £7.8 million. It has created 361 jobs and safeguarded another 113. We have, as well, the tourism attractor destination programme, working on four business plans for the north. If you look at what we’ve spent over the years—you look at Colwyn Bay and the work that’s been done there, not just Parc Eirias, but also the seafront in Colwyn Bay; the substantial investment that’s been put into Rhyl over the years—over £30 million in improving the Rhyl seafront; we have the regional tourism engagement fund and that’s been worth £280,000 to the north; and the tourism product innovation fund as well. And, of course, we have invested over £1.7 million in major events. They include events such as the Slateman and Sandman triathlons, the Llangollen Fringe Festival, Festival No. 6, the Tour of Britain and Wales Rally GB, just to name a few.