The Tourism Sector

Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Economy – in the Senedd at 1:59 pm on 23 March 2022.

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Photo of Sam Rowlands Sam Rowlands Conservative 1:59, 23 March 2022

Thank you, Minister for your response and, as I'm sure you'd agree, the tourism sector is so important here in Wales, and that's why it's a pleasure to chair the Senedd's cross-party group on tourism. I look forward to seeing many Members attending the meeting next week.

But Minister, as you'll know, Wales welcomes around 11 million overnight domestic visitors, 87 million day visitors, around 1 million international visitors in normal years, and these people come to our country, spend their money, support local jobs and enjoy all that we have to offer, and, in my own patch in north Wales, this sector is worth around £3.5 billion a year to our economy.

One of the big concerns that the tourism sector are sharing with me is the Government's latest council tax empty dwellings regulations, and specifically the criteria for self-catering accommodation being aligned with business rates instead of council tax and the changes that would take place there, with properties now needing to be let for 182 days, which is a 160 per cent increase, and available to let for 252 days, which is an 80 per cent increase and, confusingly, quite different to HMRC's definition in terms of tax purposes. Many people in the tourism sector—