§ Mr. Gareth Wardellasked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish in the Official Report the information known to him regarding visits to Wales by overseas visitors for each of the past 10 years.
§ Mr. Nicholas EdwardsInformation on the numbers of overseas visitors and their spending is obtained through the international passenger survey—a survey carried out for the Department of Trade and Industry by the Office of Population Censuses. The estimates are based on interviews with a random sample of passengers entering and leaving the United Kingdom.
The details relating to visitors to Wales have to be treated with caution because of the small sample size. Figures for the period 1974–1983 (the latest date for which the information is available) are as follows:
317W
Overseas visitors to Wales Number (000s) Revenue (£ million) 1974 260 20 1975 280 30 1976 320 50 1977 390 100 1978 660 100 1979 530 100 1980 400 100 *1981 400 50 1982 440 50 1983 510 75 * Direct comparisons of estimated overseas revenue are not possible for the years prior to 1981 owing to changes in the method of collection. Estimates for 1980 and before are nominal and should be regarded as broad approximations only. The survey collects information about the countries of origin of visitors. Figures for 1982 showed the proportions of visitors to Wales as:
North America 24 per cent., European Community 44 per cent., other Western Europe 7 per cent., other areas 25 per cent. A similar analysis has not been made for other years and could only be done at disproportionate cost.