Written question WQ86116

We have planned four visitor levy consultation in-person events attended by Welsh Government Ministers, with a fifth event hosted by officials virtually on 27 October.

On Friday 23 September, along with the Designated Member Cefin Campbell, I attended an in-person event in Portmeirion with a cross-section of tourism and hospitality industry representatives, public sector officials and members of community groups. The Designated Member and I then visited a local community project, Yr Orsaf in Penygroes. This is a community enterprise and accommodation provider that has helped create local solutions to the challenges facing the Nantlle Valley and provides young people with opportunities to remain and thrive in their local community.

Further consultation events with Ministers in attendance will take place in Cardiff on 5 October, Llandrindod Wells on 10 November and Saundersfoot on 17 November. The focus is on ensuring there is a mix of voices with varying perspectives in attendance at these events to encourage a balanced and informative debate. Feedback will be considered and included as part of our summary of consultation responses.

Since January, we have engaged widely on the proposals for a discretionary visitor levy with tourism industry representatives. This includes a monthly Business Reference Group comprising around 20 businesses of varying sizes and locations across Wales. Feedback from these sessions informed the content of the consultation document.

Officials attended all four Regional Visitor Forums, the Ministerial Visitor Economy Forum, and have met with the Wales Tourism Alliance and UK Hospitality to hear directly from businesses and tourism industry organisations.

During the consultation period we are encouraging businesses across Wales to get involved in the consultation process via emails, newsletters, Visitor Levy web pages, our social media channels and directly via our consultation events. We are also working with local authority officials to ensure information is distributed through regular engagement and partnership forums. We are receiving responses to the consultation on a daily basis with volumes indicating a high level of engagement to the proposals. Submitting responses to our formal consultation is the most effective way for businesses to engage; their feedback will shape the design and scope of the levy. We have prepared alternative formats of the main consultation document to ensure they are as accessible as possible to everyone who has an interest in this policy.

This work has been carried out as part of the Co-operation Agreement between the Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru