§ Mr. Hoosonasked the Secretary of State for Wales if he is satisfied with the extent to which the Wales Tourist Board is involved in planning and implementing the promotion of Wales overseas as a tourist destination.
§ Mr. John Stradling ThomasI have been considering the way in which the Wales Tourist Board works with the British Tourist Authority in the promotion of Wales as a tourist destination as part of my continuing review of tourism policy in Wales following the publication of the board's strategy document earlier this year. Following meetings with the two bodies, I am pleased to announce new arrangements which have been agreed for strengthening Welsh involvement in the BTA's marketing programme.
The Wales Tourist Board will be appointing a director of Overseas Marketing who will work in close co-operation with the British Tourist Authority. The director's primary responsibilities will be to co-ordinate activities in Wales aimed at developing tourist facilities to make them attractive to the overseas market and to identify, in collaboration with the British Tourist Authority, attractions and amenities which could be most productively promoted abroad.
530WThe British Tourist Authority will be nominating an executive to act as Wales liaison officer.
The Wales Tourist Board and the British Tourist Authority jointly will be drawing up and reviewing annually a stategic overseas marketing plan for Wales which will form the basis of the BTA's annual marketing plan as it relates to Wales.
Arrangements will be made jointly by the Wales Tourist Board and the British Tourist Authority to encourage the support of the trade and of authorities with tourist interests for the promotion of Wales overseas and to involve them in the development of Welsh tourist facilities in order further to attract overseas visitors and in the formulation of specific market proposals.
These arrangements are a constructive step forward in reconciling the needs to promote Britain abroad as an entity while giving due weight to the importance of Wales as a tourist area and the importance to Wales of tourism.