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Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:55 pm on 21 September 2021.

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Photo of Mark Drakeford Mark Drakeford Labour 1:55, 21 September 2021

Well, Llywydd, I feel confident—and I was told this many times myself over the summer by people I met on holiday in Wales—that, having discovered Wales, they will want to be back. In a way, that is the greatest advert, isn't it, that, when people come here, they see everything we have to offer and they realise just what a chance there is to come and have a good vacation in Wales. The aims of the Wales tourism strategy are to spread tourism in Wales so that we open up other parts of Wales, including many parts of the Member's own constituency, to people who come to visit us; that we extend the season so that you can offer sustainable jobs for people who we want to work in tourism and hospitality; and then we find new ways to make sure the people who do come and visit Wales have good ways to spend their money and make a contribution to the local economy. All of those three things, Llywydd, seem to me to be very well captured in the zip wire experience in the Member's own constituency. I was very pleased to be there with her earlier this year—a huge tribute, if I could just say a for a moment, to Tyrone O'Sullivan, who led the Tower colliery initiative and has done so much to be determined that a long-term legacy will be left at that site, creating jobs and prosperity for local people. It brings people into the area, it extends the season, it gives people something exciting to spend their money on, and I think it shows us a very fine example of how we can do exactly what Vikki Howells asked in her supplementary question.