Welsh Government | Heritage Minister to hold tourism summit

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Heritage Minister to hold tourism summit

During his address at the Wales Tourism Alliance’s annual conference last night, the Heritage Minister, Alun Fred Jones, announced that he would be holding a tourism summit to support the industry through the current difficult climate.

Monday 03 November 2008

The summit will also be a first step to a closer working partnership between Government and the industry. The Heritage Minister, said:

I would very much like to have far wider industry involvement in the development of tourism policy and strategy. I will be asking my officials in Visit Wales to bring forward to me ways of establishing a stronger industry input into the development of the tourism industry in Wales.

As a first step to initiate this closer working partnership I would like to build on the recent All-Wales Economic Summit and I propose to hold a summit of tourism sector representatives at which Visit Wales and the industry can explore ways in which what we as a Government can specifically support the industry in these uncertain economic times.

The summit will take place on November 19, membership, time and location will be confirmed in due course.

Julian Burrell, Chair of the Wales Tourism Alliance welcomed the announcement:

Wales Tourism Alliance, the industry's umbrella organisation, believes the current economic situation demands effective and radical solutions to deliver the industry’s needs and warmly welcomes the Minister’s announcement of a Tourism Summit to take place in Swansea on November 19.

WTA would wish to see a regular and more structured participatory process become available to the industry. The severe fallout predicted for the post-credit crunch economy makes it vital that the industry’s representatives stand alongside our politicians and together we determine to do everything within our power to protect jobs and protect businesses and to deliver the best possible returns.

3 November 2008