Can I thank Dawn Bowden for her interest again in the visitor economy? Dawn has recognised regularly in this Chamber the value that tourism can make to communities in her constituency. I do share her concerns about the number of projects funded through TISS that have actually been delivered in the communities that she’s spoken about. For that reason, we carried out a piece of work to understand why fewer businesses come forward in the Valleys than in other areas of Wales.

As part of that work, we’ve also secured tourism funding from the rural development programme, which will enable us to deliver a higher intervention rate to businesses, and my officials will be undertaking a scoping study and an engagement programme, with a view to being able to develop more reputation-changing, interesting, innovative, creative tourism attractions in the Valleys communities.

I think the Member’s already identified one particular attraction that has proven to be quite game changing within her community. There are many others. There are, for example, activities based on biking and mountain biking, such as Bike Park Wales, that have proven enormously successful and have changed perceptions of the area.