Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:11 pm on 29 September 2020.
Good afternoon, First Minister. Please forgive me if I cut across anything you've already said; unfortunately, the translation wasn't working on my computer. Many of the visitor experiences in Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire are provided by microtourism businesses, whether they are eco tree lodges in the forests of Carmarthenshire or small campsites and businesses along the Pembrokeshire Coast national park. Because they are very distinct and have a particular attraction to certain groups of people, they of course have been quite badly hurt by the COVID-19 pandemic.
I did listen very carefully to your reply to Adam Price earlier about whether or not people should make a journey to see us, but I want to just read you something from Microtourism Wales, who say, 'Our members are now dealing with confused guests looking to cancel or change their holidays because they do not understand the local lockdown policies'. And yesterday, the economy Minister, during the Welsh Government press conference said, and I quote, 'It is vital that people consider carefully whether their journeys are required'.
Microtourism businesses in my patch are already financially under the water because of the earlier lockdown. Are you able to give them any other guidance as to what they should say when someone phones them up from either England or a different part of Wales and says, 'I'm going to cancel my two weeks in your treehouse in Carmarthenshire because I don't think I'm allowed to travel', or, even worse, they ask them whether they should travel or not, which puts the onus of making that decision on the operator?