Thank you, acting Deputy Presiding Officer.

Last week, we celebrated the twentieth anniversary of devolution in Wales, an occasion that provided an opportunity to reflect on our key achievements in the past two decades. Since its opening in 2012, the Wales coast path has established itself as a beacon of our nation's natural beauty. Its route stretches 870 miles around our entire coastline and is the first of its kind in the world, an achievement that we can all be proud of.

So, as we look back on the achievements of devolution, I wanted to highlight how we are continuing to develop and promote this fantastic asset, as well as how this fits in with wider efforts to increase access to our great outdoors. The path is a jewel in Wales's tourism offer. It makes a huge contribution to the Welsh economy, and it is estimated that it generates around £84 million a year in visitor spending and supports more than 1,000 jobs. The offer though is not simply about tourism and the economy; our Wales coast path can bring broader health and well-being benefits. We must make sure the benefits of the path are valued and enjoyed by people and communities across the country, in particular everyone who lives and works near our coast.

However, a hugely popular walking route can also bring with it issues and challenges, and we are continuing to invest in upkeep and maintenance. Our partnership with Natural Resources Wales sees nearly £1 million invested annually. NRW, who look after the path on our behalf, continue to work with local authorities and landowners to improve the alignment and quality of the path, and mitigate erosion.

A series of new circular routes, new publicity material and a toolkit for coastal businesses are some of our latest initiatives. The toolkit has been designed to help coastal businesses market their products and services through the pulling power of the path. It is a free, easy-to-use online resource that gives businesses access to a wide range of material and information in one place. It provides guidance on how businesses can give customers an unforgettable experience and better market their own businesses, using the coast path as a key asset. The toolkit was launched in March this year, with a series of free seminars around our coast, from Swansea to Narberth, and Conwy to Beaumaris.

A revamped website is in development. It will provide up-to-date information and a new interactive mapping tool. Natural Resources Wales is also working on a new augmented reality app, which will include engaging visuals, informative stories and interactive games.

Some of our more intrepid walkers complete the whole path in one go or over a period as part of a challenge. For those people, we are looking at a new system to incentivise and reward people completing stages or the whole trail. Far more people, however, walk shorter sections. With this in mind, we are developing different ways for people to enjoy their visit. A new series of circular routes will open up more of our fantastic inland countryside, in addition to the coast itself.

This year is the Year of Discovery in Wales, and this May marks seven years since the path was officially launched. Our coast path is celebrating by holding its very own walking festival, and I'd like to pay tribute to Ramblers Cymru for putting on a huge range of events, catering for all abilities.  

As well as the coast path, we have three national trails and a range of other promoted local routes to enjoy. These provide access to some of our country’s finest scenery, not only for walkers but also for cyclists and horse riders. I was therefore pleased that we were able to fund additional projects worth over £0.5 million to improve the coast path and national trails in 2018-19. These will allow some important pieces of work to be carried out to improve the experience for everyone.

This Welsh Government is committed to deriving greater benefit from the huge network of footpaths we have. Wales has the greatest length of rights of way per square kilometre in the UK. However, improvements can be made to the way access to the outdoors is provided, managed and promoted in Wales. We've consulted very widely on a range of measures, and I'm grateful for the input of thousands of people and organisations. The size of the response we received is testament to the huge value the people of Wales place on their cherished countryside and landscapes. I made a written statement last month, responding to this consultation, that sets out our planned way forward.

Our long-term approach to access will be to provide a greater range of opportunities for outdoor activities. It will also promote responsible recreation that strikes an appropriate balance between the interests of both users and landowners. Our countryside is hugely important to the people of Wales and everyone must continue to have the opportunity to enjoy it. The success of the Wales coast path, and our commitment to reforming access more broadly, will ensure we continue to build on this success for the benefit of all the people of Wales.