North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood has called on the Welsh Government to address North Wales tourism sector concerns that unless they are given the support they need, they will lose out to their competitors over the border.
Mr Isherwood told the First Minister in the Assembly Chamber this week that tourism businesses in Flintshire and across North Wales are concerned that the additional £40 million provided for tourism marketing in England will result in less visitors to North Wales.
He said:
“Tourism sector representatives in Flintshire and across North Wales have told me the Welsh Government needs to respond to the £40 million provided by Visit England for tourism marketing there, and to acknowledge how it proposes to address the fund already being distributed there. How, therefore, do you respond to their concern that Wales needs to be aware of the increased resources close to our border, such as Chester, Cheshire, Shropshire, Bristol and Bath, with the potential to encourage English staycation and divert English and overseas visitors from Wales?”
The First Minister replied: “We’re aware of it, but of course, our tourism statistics show that more people are visiting Wales. Particularly, more people are visiting Wales from abroad. That’s been quite significant over the past year. So, whilst of course we keep an eye on our competitors, we know, from the figures that we have for tourism, that Wales has been successful in attracting more and more visitors.”
Mr Isherwood added: “Although the last published tourism figures in Wales were up, this resulted from business tourism and there were 90,000 fewer holiday maker visits – and although anecdotally the summer has been good for tourism businesses in Wales, this has been bolstered by the falling pound.
“As tourism operators in North Wales have told me, there is a danger that Wales will lose out as a visitor destination if the Welsh Government doesn’t support the sector to maintain and grow market share in competition with the greater funding for tourism marketing across the rest of the UK. They also risk losing out to specific support for activities such a golf, gardens, stately homes and gourmet dining just across the border in England.”