Conclusions
Tourism
1. Wales
boasts some of the most spectacular landscape in Britain and Europe,
has a unique culture, language and history, dynamic cities, and
offers a range of activities and a high quality of life. It is
therefore a natural destination for the growing market of cultural
and environmental tourists. We are therefore concerned that Wales
still has a low profile overseas compared to other parts of the
UK and attracts the third smallest number of international visitors
of any UK region. (Paragraph 23)
2. We believe that
a lack of awareness internationally about Wales's strengths as
a holiday destination is a key reason for Wales' relatively low
share of UK-bound holidaymakers. Wales lacks a coherent brand
for the overseas market. Wales needs to be marketed much more
vigorously overseas, with a strong and clear narrative about the
country's historic and modern aspects and attractions for tourists.
For example, whilst Dylan Thomas centenary events have been organised
in Wales, London and New York, they have not been used to promote
long-term growth in the number of cultural tourists to South Wales,
through attaching the Dylan Thomas brand to the Wales brand. (Paragraph
24)
3. 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 if the global economy continues to recover.
Tourism bodies responsible for promoting Wales need to grasp this
opportunity. (Paragraph 25)
4. We acknowledge
the efforts by VisitBritain to promote different parts of the
UK to potential overseas tourists. We share concerns, however,
that the current emphasis on meeting an overall target for UK
visitor numbers may lead VisitBritain to focus disproportionately
on promoting more well-known destinations, such as London, at
the expense of other areas, including Wales. (Paragraph 31)
5. For many international
visitors, "Britain" is often perceived as being England
only. It is therefore important that UK government bodies responsible
for international promotion reflect the distinct identity of each
constituent part of the UK in their activities. (Paragraph 41)
6. The evidence on
the effectiveness of the UK Government's GREAT campaign in promoting
Wales is mixed. We remain to be convinced that Wales has benefited
much from the campaign. (Paragraph 42)
7. Despite the willingness
of VisitBritain to engage with the Welsh Government, we are disappointed
with the current levels of engagement between VisitBritain and
the Welsh Government. (Paragraph 51)
8. We welcome recent
efforts to improve the relationship between VisitBritain and Visit
Wales. Both promote Wales in different overseas markets but good
co-ordination is necessary to market Wales in a consistent way,
to share market intelligence, and avoid duplication of effort.
VisitBritain has much greater resources than Visit Wales and there
are clear advantages for Wales to be included under the auspices
of the international work of the UK Government. (Paragraph 52)
9. The refusal of
the UK Government to reduce the VAT rate for the tourism industry,
unlike most other EU states, could be having a detrimental effect
on the Welsh tourism industry. (Paragraph 57)
Inward investment and trade
10. We
accept that UKTI's role is to maximise the total amount of investment
in the UK. While there are specific examples of UKTI promoting
Welsh projects overseas, we believe that Wales could still benefit
more from UKTI's expertise, reputation, and international contacts.
It is particularly worrying that Welsh companies do not utilise
UKTI as much as they could. (Paragraph 72)
11. We are concerned
that Wales has no dedicated trade promotion agency, unlike Scotland
and Northern Ireland. The lack of such a body is, in our view,
hampering inward investment opportunities. (Paragraph 82)
12. Overseas trade
delegations provide a valuable opportunity to promote Wales and
Welsh companies overseas. It is therefore vital that Welsh companies
are given the opportunity to accompany trade delegations with
UK Government ministers. In too many cases Welsh companies are
simply not aware of the opportunities available to participate
in such delegations. (Paragraph 90)
13. Given the shared
interest to grow the Welsh economy, we believe that more could
be gained from the Wales Office and the Welsh Government co-operating
more closely on trade delegations. (Paragraph 93)
Culture and language
14. Wales
has a unique and diverse culture, including its own language,
but is not widely known around the world. Promoting Welsh culture
overseas can help build familiarity with Wales, with subsequent
economic, cultural and political benefits for Wales and the UK
more broadly. (Paragraph 109)
15. At the organisational
level, we believe that the British Council's knowledge of Wales
would benefit from permanent Welsh representation on its Board
of Trustees. (Paragraph 112)
16. We congratulate
all those involved with bringing the NATO Summit to Wales, notably
the then Secretary of State for Wales and the Wales Office, the
Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Welsh Government, and the
Celtic Manor Resort. The summit helped to increase awareness about
Wales around the world. It is important that the UK and Welsh
Governments capitalise upon this to bring longer-term benefits
to Wales, through investment and tourism opportunities. (Paragraph
117)
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