What measures is the Welsh Government taking to support the tourism sector in Wales?
There are very clear measures in our recovery plan - Let’s Shape the Future – to support the sector emerge from the pandemic. The recovery plan is designed to bridge back to our overall strategy - Welcome to Wales; Priorities for the Visitor Economy 2020-25. The ambition is to grow tourism for the good of Wales, delivering economic, environmental, and social benefits.
We have made unprecedented levels of funding available to support businesses through the pandemic, including through the Economic Resilience Fund (ERF) and the non-domestic rates (NDR) linked grants and discretionary grants which were delivered by local authorities.
The support we have given the tourism and hospitality industry in Wales throughout the pandemic is the most generous in the UK. Tourism and hospitality businesses have benefited from £56m from the ERF. We recognise the challenging circumstances businesses have faced as a result of the pandemic, which is why those in the retail, leisure and hospitality sectors will not have to pay any rates until April 2022.