Committee calls for increased cooperation between tourism bodies

Thursday 23 Oct 2014 @ 09:25
Parliamentary Committees and Public Enquiries

Welsh Affairs Committee publish report on International representation and promotion of Wales by UK bodies on Wednesday 22 October 2014.

The Committee calls on VisitBritain and Visit Wales to jointly develop, by February 2015, a coherent strategy for promoting Wales as a first choice destination for international visitors to the UK. VisitBritain should set clear, measurable targets for encouraging international tourists to visit different regions of the UK.

Developments in global communication and the increasing popularity and accessibility of new global destinations have made it easier to attract businesses and tourists to and from new emerging markets.

As a small nation of three million people on the western edge of Europe, Wales faces particularly keen competition to attract skilled workers, tourists and inward investors from within the UK, and from Europe and further afield. Wales remains one of the poorer parts of both the UK and the EU and the revenue brought through trade, by overseas tourists and from inward investors is vital.

Wales' potential

The Committee says Wales’ potential as a tourist destination is being undersold and is concerned that Wales still has a low profile overseas compared to other parts of the UK: Wales attracts the third smallest number of international visitors of any UK ‘region’. The Committee says Wales lacks a coherent brand for the overseas market and must be marketed much more vigorously.

The inquiry examined the role of the UK Government and its associated bodies in promoting Wales abroad, with a particular emphasis on tourism, inward investment and trade, and culture and language.

The Committee believes that UKTI (UK Trade & Investment) has a crucial role in helping address geographical wealth inequalities and notes the efforts of German Trade and Investment to reduce disparities within the German state. UKTI should be mandated to perform a similar function.

The Committee repeats its call for the establishment of a dedicated trade promotion agency, either sitting within the Welsh Government or as a private sector vehicle working in collaboration with the Welsh Government, to drive inward investment projects into Wales.

Chair's comments

Chair of the Committee David TC Davies MP said:

"While the current number of international tourists to Wales remains below pre-2006 levels, we believe there is substantial potential for growth in Wales’ tourism market. Wales has some of the most spectacular landscape in Britain and Europe, a unique culture, language and history, dynamic cities, and offers a range of activities and a high quality of life. The tourism bodies responsible for promoting Wales need to grasp this opportunity and maximise Wales’ potential as a destination.

UKTI should be mandated to begin to address the great disparities in wealth and investment across the UK, and we repeat our call for a dedicated Welsh trade promotion agency, to drive inward investment into Wales.

Wales has masses of unfulfilled potential for increasing tourism. It is time for the responsible agencies in Cardiff and London and the respective Ministers to work together more to maximise opportunities. Wales is ready and waiting."

Further information

Channel website: http://www.parliament.uk/

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