10. Will the Minister make a statement on visitor numbers from overseas to Wales for the past five years? OAQ(5)0082(EI)

Yes. I’m delighted to say that international visitors to Wales have grown strongly, with trips increasing by 10 per cent and spend by 25 per cent between 2011 and 2015. Figures from the international passenger survey for the first six months of 2016 also show growth in both trips and spend.

It’s very encouraging news to note those figures, Cabinet Secretary, and, of course, the value of the pound now is also helping to encourage visitors to the UK as well. But north Wales has a unique offer in terms of tourism, and, as we know, it’s a world-beating offer. It’s up there in the top 10 list of destinations as far as Lonely Planet is concerned. But one of the disadvantages that we have is that we do not have an international airport in north Wales. Now, I’m not going to call for you to build one, but I will ask you to tell us what you are doing to improve links to the international airports in Liverpool and Manchester, between north Wales and those destinations. It is really important that, if we want to drag the important visitors into north Wales, those links to those two particular airports are absolutely crucial. What are you doing to work with the UK Government and others in order to deliver some improvement to those links?

Can I thank the Member for his question and say that I am also pleased that north Wales is the fourth greatest region on the planet? This week, I’m pleased to be able tell the Member that Wales won another award. We won the best in UK for youth, student and educational travellers, and that was at the British Youth Travel Awards. North Wales, without a doubt, has a unique offer, and I am keen to make sure that it becomes more accessible to travellers from abroad and from other parts of the UK for that reason.

We are going to be going out to consultation, as I said, on improvements to those key access points—the A494 and the A55—so that travel by road is improved. We are developing the vision for a cross-border metro that will link into Manchester Airport and also Liverpool airport. Last week, I was particularly pleased to attend the ‘Daily Post’ business awards dinner at Bangor University, where the tourism award was sponsored by Liverpool John Lennon Airport. Of course, this has become a very significant airport for the visitor economy of north Wales, so I have asked my officials to engage with that airport and, again, with Manchester Airport, with which we already do a lot of business in promoting Wales. I am in agreement with the Member that we can improve links with those airports; we can improve the road links and the rail links as well.

Thank you, Cabinet Secretary.