North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood has raised concerns in the Assembly this week that North Wales could lose millions in tourism support if proposed changes to the way funding is assessed are implemented.
Calling for a Welsh Government Statement on tourism in North Wales, Mr Isherwood said it is feared that North Wales cold lose out to South Wales if the changes come into force.
Speaking in the Assembly Chamber, he said: “I have received reference to a report from a tourism business leader in north Wales. The report is entitled ‘Measuring Tourism Demand at Local Authority Level in Wales: Official Statistics and STEAM’, which refers to indicative changes in the 2013-14 standard spending assessment. It suggests that Flintshire would lose £358,000, and north Wales millions in support, with the money going to south Wales authorities, despite the most economically deprived part of Wales, West Wales and the Valleys, including four of north Wales’ six counties - and despite almost one fifth of the population of Wales living within the most deprived wards in Wales being located in north Wales.”
The Minister for Local Government and Government Business, Lesley Griffiths, replied: “There is a great deal of work going on around tourism right across Wales, not just in north Wales. Visit Wales has relaunched its travel trade approach, which focuses largely on international markets, and it continues to work very closely with Visit Britain internationally. There is a programme of PR and campaign activity, which I am sure will benefit north Wales.”
Mr Isherwood said later: “The Minister’s failure to address the concerns I raised can only reinforce fears that North Wales is to lose out to South Wales."
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