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No celebrations for St David.

Team @ AberdareOnline14 mins

Tourism flags at half mast and attraction closures will mark St
Davids day in Wales this year.
Last December the Welsh Association of Visitor Attractions
(WAVA) held a one day strike, and closed their attractions in
protest at the anti-tourism policies being pursued by the Welsh
Government (W.G.)
March 1 st will mark the next stage in the WAVA campaign to
make the W.G. change direction, and start supporting tourism
in Wales.
However, this time other sectors of tourism and joining the fight
including the Professional Association of Self Caterers in
Wales, and North Wales Tourism.
On March Ist we are asking tourism colleagues to lower their
flags to half mast to symbolise that W.G laws are damaging
tourism, and are being interpreted in some quarters as being
anti-visitor which does not help Welsh tourism.
WAVA members will again be closing their premises, and
or lowering flags on March 1. st These actions are to
signify their dismay at falling tourist numbers, the 182
issue, and the proposed tourism tax.
Ashford Price WAVA spokesperson said

“Welsh people will
be the ones most affected by the proposed Welsh
Governments tourism tax as 60% of all the accommodation
booked in Wales is booked by Welsh people, for their Welsh
holidays.
Thus, even though they live in Wales, and want to support
Welsh tourism the Welsh Government is going to tax them for
doing so!

Also, I don’t think Welsh people realise, that their infants, and
even babies will pay this tax if they stay in tents, caravans,
hotels, or self-catering cottages that are in Wales.”
Jim Jones. CEO North Wales tourism said” Over time, the
policies of the Welsh Government have had a devastating
impact on our sector, rendering many businesses
struggling and unviable. Despite repeated efforts to
engage through normal channels, our concerns have
been ignored. As a result, we are escalating our
opposition and calling on businesses to join us in a
symbolic gesture of lowering flags to half-mast, reflecting
the profound damage to what was once one of Wales’
most stable and economically significant sectors”. 

Alistair Handyside MBE. Executive Chair. PASC UK. said
“Hospitality businesses of all kinds in Wales have faced a
tsunami of regulatory and tax interventions over the last three
years. It is vital that there is an urgent review of the impact of all
these measures, and that has to take the form of a cumulative
impact assessment. Many businesses are at breaking point,
with mental health issues rife across the sector. We support the
call to fly flags at half-mast to reflect the strength of feeling
across so many small businesses”.

No Tourism, No Growth, No Future.

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