Today, world heritage plays an important role in our tourism economy, drawing thousands of visitors here each year. But we should not overlook its wider benefits; in particular, community pride, well-being and a sense of place.

The slate landscape nomination was notable for its community involvement. The Heritage Lottery-funded LleCHI project supported young people from the region to play a leading role investigating and interpreting their heritage and participating in the formal inscription assessment. That involvement bodes well for the future.

So, what has happened since inscription? Well, firstly, the partnership management plan is being implemented. The two local planning authorities have adopted supplementary planning guidance and published community style guides in Welsh and English to assist residents, developers and the construction industry to play their parts in the sustainable management of historic properties within the site.

Partners continue to play an active role. Cadw’s designation work is nearly complete, and its focus has now turned to conservation. Cadw grants are supporting work at the engine house in the Dorothea quarry, while last year the National Lottery Heritage Fund announced a £3.1 million grant for the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways, one of the core partners in the site, to restore its buildings at Boston Lodge.

An important responsibility for world heritage managers is to transmit the values of the sites through education and interpretation, and here also good progress has been made. A Welsh Government grant of £150,000 has funded unified signage and interpretation across the world heritage site. Work is also progressing on developing a comprehensive community engagement, interpretation and visitor management plan, supported by £128,000 development funding from the National Lottery. Alongside this, Amgueddfa Cymru is developing proposals for the redevelopment of the National Slate Museum, with the museum of north Wales forming part of this.

I started by reminding us that there are two world heritage sites in north-west Wales. The castles and town walls of King Edward in Gwynedd were the first world heritage site to be inscribed in Wales and are an interesting illustration of the broader objectives of world heritage, which are not, as some people think, simply to celebrate heritage, but rather to recognise sites of historic importance and to provide opportunities to learn from them.

The four castles that make up the world heritage site have complex histories that raise important questions about events that shaped our nation. These were originally English castles, built by Edward I to control people reeling from the loss of their prince, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, and inevitably raise a lot of powerful emotions. That medieval annexation has resonated for centuries and it's important that our management and presentation of these castles, in particular of Caernarfon castle, recognise all aspects of that history and what it means for people today.

Later this month, I will be visiting Caernarfon to open the new King’s gatehouse project that Cadw has delivered. This is a £5 million investment that will enable visitors to experience rooms within the castle that have been inaccessible for centuries and to access the top floor of the gatehouse by lift. For the first time, there will be access for all visitors to the medieval hall on the uppermost level, which was designed, but never completed. Accompanying this is new interpretation that reflects honestly the challenging history of the castle, using a combination of narrative and sculpture to help visitors consider its role in the past and today. While meeting our obligation to conserve our world heritage, this investment will also make a vital contribution to the region’s economy.

I end by taking this opportunity to thank all organisations, individuals and communities who manage our world heritage sites on behalf of us all. It is through their efforts that we fulfil our obligations under the convention to care for these sites on behalf of future generations, both here in Wales and across the world.