<p>Visitor Numbers from Overseas</p>

Part of 1. 1. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure – in the Senedd at 2:20 pm on 7 December 2016.

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Photo of Ken Skates Ken Skates Labour 2:20, 7 December 2016

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.