Conservatives promise ‘Welcome Back to Wales’ post-pandemic tourism festival if they win Senedd election

The Welsh Conservatives have promised a ‘Welcome Back to Wales’ festival to attract tourists to the country after the pandemic if they win Thursday’s Senedd election.

The festival would coincide with the extra bank holiday celebrating the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in July 2022, they said.

They have called on voters across Wales to “make this the last bank holiday under Labour,” saying that the pandemic has hit the sector hard and it will need support to kickstart the industry and attract more holidaymakers to Wales.

Welsh Conservative economy spokesperson, Russell George, said that 22 years of successive Labour Governments had failed to invest in transport links and failed to promote Wales as a top destination.

“That’s the last thing Welsh workers, families and businesses need as we look to protect people’s jobs and help our economy recover,” he said.

“Welsh Conservatives have a clear plan to rebuild our economy, particularly our tourism industry, by maintaining the cut in VAT for tourism businesses until April 2022, and creating a comeback package for seaside and market towns to level up with a Tourism Towns Fund.

“We will enable communities to improve their local economy by attracting new visitors with free WiFi and improved transport links and give it support to come back stronger than ever before.”

‘Creaking’

The Welsh Conservatives are promising to:

• Rebuild the Welsh tourism industry by launching an international marketing campaign, ‘Experience Wales’ building on the north of Wales as a “global must-visit destination”

• Work with the industry, deliver a Welcome Back to Wales Festival in 2022 to showcase Welsh tourism and to encourage people to come back following the pandemic, using the Queen’s Jubilee to promote the best of Wales and Britain

• Along with the UK Government, maintain the cut in VAT for tourism businesses until April 2022

• Create a comeback package for seaside and market towns to level up with a Tourism Towns Fund, enabling communities to improve their local economy by attracting new visitors with free WiFi or improved transport links

• “Unleash” the potential of Visit Wales by giving operational independence from Welsh Government and enabling it to be industry-led

• Increase Wales’ national tourism offer by retaining free entry in National Museums, create a National Military Museum for Wales based in Brecon, a Welsh National Observatory, a Welsh Sports Hall of Fame and a National Art Gallery for Wales, with collections in the north and south of Wales

• Work with UK-wide organisations, such as Visit Britain, to promote Wales on the international stage and with airlines to secure more routes into Wales

“Only by voting Welsh Conservative this Thursday can we tackle Wales’ creaking infrastructure and fragile economy, and create jobs, prosperity and opportunity for people across the country,” Russell George said.