The basis of the new brand is this emphasis on the 'years of', but it’s not just a matter of one year at a time. We have now extended these years over two years, so that these themes can dovetail together—themes such as 'legends', 'adventure', 'the sea' and, to come next year, the 'Year of Outdoors'. These bring different organisations, the length and breadth of Wales, together under one banner to highlight the best of Welsh culture, landscape and adventure.

I’m also particularly pleased with the investment that’s been made in the excellent products that have changed perceptions of Wales. You won’t be surprised to hear me referring to Zip World, where a new generation can experience our wonderful industrial heritage—if they have an opportunity to see what they pass so swiftly, as they get to speeds of over 90 mph. But those attractions—and, of course, Surf Snowdonia, the first inland surf lagoon in the world—have emphasised the importance of adventure in the Welsh landscape.

I also know that people the length and breadth of Wales and beyond have enjoyed the events that we have supported as a Government: the UEFA Champions League final; the Volvo Ocean Race; home-grown events such as the Hay Festival; and then when international events come to Wales, whether they're related to cycling or motoring and so on. By bringing visitors to Wales, these new products—great events and great marketing support—do demonstrate how crucial tourism is to the Welsh economy.

There are over 11,500 tourism business in Wales. These bring £6.3 billion per annum into the economy. Around 9 per cent of active employment in Wales is in tourism. And that’s why I am delighted that we as a Government have recognised tourism as part of the foundational economy within the economic action plan, and of the pathway that we have set and which we have almost delivered in our current tourism plan, namely to increase our income by 10 per cent.

This leads me, then, to our new priorities. Tourism is an economic driver across Wales. We also think that we can do more through the visitor economy in order to promote the economy more generally. Not only have we secured jobs in tourism, supported communities by supporting a sense of place, relighting our passion for heritage and culture, and creating opportunities to get out there and be active, which is so crucial for the health of our nation and our visitors across Wales—. And so, the ambition of the new action plan, as you will see on its publication in December, is to grow tourism for the good of Wales. This means that it is still important to develop tourism, but to do so in a way that delivers wider benefits to culture, to communities, and to do that by safeguarding our environment. That is, sustainable tourism—that is what Welsh tourism will be, and this vision is at the heart of the plan and will shape everything, as you will see.

I have made it clear that this is not just the vision of Government, or even the vision of one department of Government. When we started to work on this plan, we corresponded with Ministers and Assembly Members to ask about your vision for the future of tourism. That invitation is repeated here today, before we complete the plan in its final form.