2. What discussions has the Minister had with the tourism industry in Wales regarding COVID-19 regulations? OQ55978

The Deputy Minister will need to unmute. 

Can Dafydd Elis-Thomas be unmuted? Can anybody help us at this point?

Deputy Minister, we can hear you now, thank you. 

Diolch yn fawr. My ministerial colleague and I established a tourism taskforce at the outset of the pandemic, meeting weekly to discuss all items affecting the industries, including the impact of COVID regulations. We have a parallel series of meetings with hospitality, events and wedding stakeholders.

Is there a danger that some of our measures—pubs that can't serve alcohol—and particularly enforcing a border to stop people from England coming to Wales, even when we may have had higher levels of incidence, may have an impact in future years of people who may be less willing or interested in visiting Wales in light of that? And what can we do to try and mitigate any such effect?

Well, I mitigate this on a weekly basis, because I meet with my UK colleagues in all the sectors for which I have responsibility. Visit Wales has worked very closely with UKHospitality, the Wales Tourism Alliance and the Welsh Independent Restaurant Collective. All these representative bodies of Welsh tourism are regularly in contact with the rest of the United Kingdom. Obviously, I take a very active interest in what Northern Ireland and Scotland and England are doing in these areas, but I also work within the devolved legislation and the responsibilities of Welsh Government, of which I am proud to be a Minister.