4. What action is the Welsh Government taking to promote tourism within the south Wales valleys? OQ57997

Thank you for the question. Our strategy, 'Welcome to Wales: Priorities for the visitor economy 2020-25', sets our vision and ambition for the sector across Wales. The Valleys of south Wales feature prominently in Visit Wales's promotional activities and, indeed, in our capital investment programme for tourism.

Thank you for that answer, Minister. For over 70 years now, Aberdare park has been home to the world-renowned national motorcycle road races. These races are incredibly important to Aberdare and to the Cynon Valley, injecting many thousands of pounds into the economy and bringing in around 5,000 visitors annually, a figure that can actually double in some years. Minister, I know that you and your Government are as keen as I am to see tourism in the south Wales Valleys flourish, so could you arrange for officials from your department to meet with directors of this key event to discuss how Welsh Government can best continue to support it? 

Yes, it's a specific question, and I'll be more than happy to work with the Member's office to ensure that my officials do that. Given she has asked the question, we'll keep her in touch with developments that do take place once a meeting is arranged. But, as I say, I'll be more than happy to make sure those arrangements do take place.

Minister, I recently had the fantastic experience of visiting the Rhondda tunnel project in Blaencwm and learning about the tunnel's history and contribution to life in the Rhondda Valleys. You may be aware that there's an ongoing discussion with the UK Government concerning the transfer of the tunnel to the Welsh Government, and I'm interested to know your thoughts about its capacity to be opened as a major tourist attraction for the Rhondda and for the south Wales Valleys if it was eventually transferred. The tunnel has the potential to provide an extensive cycle and walking route, which I understand would be the longest in Europe if it was to open, as well as being able to house several stand-alone tourist attractions. The tunnel could also act as a focal point for other tourist attractions that could be set up in the area, such as mountain biking, all of which would create much needed jobs. Minister, what plans does this Government have to aid the start-up of tourism businesses in the Rhondda and south Wales Valleys, and what support schemes could be made available to specifically develop tourist attractions to support the Rhondda tunnel project? Thank you.

As Members across parties will know, this has been the subject of much comment and discussion over a period of years and more than one Senedd. I welcome the Member's interest in it. As he's pointed out, it is owned at present by the UK Government and it's managed by National Highways. We expect a robust business case to be made for lottery funding and led by key stakeholders, including of course the two councils, Rhondda Cynon Taf and Neath Port Talbot, together with the Rhondda Tunnel Society, and we look forward to seeing the business case to see what role the Welsh Government could have. This is an area where we're looking for that business case to be made and to have clarity from the UK Government about their own role, as well as what we may be able to do behind it, but there is widespread recognition this could be a significant tourism project for the region in the future.