11. How is the Welsh Government supporting tourism in North Wales? OAQ55246

Given the current circumstances, our tourism is facing really difficult times. This is a developing situation and I want to assure the sector that we're continually monitoring the impact of coronavirus on tourism and working with colleagues across the Government on what support we can offer. 

I recently had the pleasure of revisiting Llangollen Railway's major engineering project at Corwen central station, which will have a massive impact on boosting tourism in the region, to see first-hand the progress they had made. I'm always amazed and massively impressed by what a group of volunteers with an average age of 68, working on a part-time basis, are able to achieve. 

A year ago, speaking here, I called for a Welsh Government statement on support for our standard-gauge heritage railways. We know and applaud the fact that the Welsh Government support narrow-gauge heritage railways, but wanted to see how this massive volunteering effort could be taken forward, not only delivering heritage projects, but offering much for tourism and broader economies in areas, often, that need much stimulus. How, therefore, do you respond to the question or point raised with me during my recent visit that we need the Welsh Government to move on from looking at this in terms of separate narrow and standard-gauge heritage railways and join up the heritage railways sector both in north Wales and across Wales as a win-win for tourism and local economies? And, of course, given your opening comments, this is even more critical in the current environment.

Thank you very much. I'm sure you'd be interested to hear that the economy Minister's father used to work at the place that you were talking about, so that's of great interest.

I know that the amount of tourism and the number of tourists who are attracted by our narrow-gauge and, as you say, our standard-gauge railway, bring in significant finance into the economy of Wales. So, that is something that we hold dear. The enthusiasm for this sector is really something to behold, in particular the number of volunteers who give their time. So, I can't tell you whether that—. It sounds like a good idea to put the narrow-gauge and the standard-gauge railways together in a promotional package. There may be some sensitivities around that, but that is something that we can perhaps look at once this emergency has quietened down.

Thank you very much, Minister.