Jason Thomas - Director Culture Sport And Tourism At Welsh Government

What can I say? Not a lot. And Jason didn’t have a lot to say either. But what Jason did say is a chilling reminder of the disdain for operators as espoused by those working for the Welsh Government.

My brief interaction with Jason, at the Visit Wales Roadshow in Newport in October 2023, therefore, says all you need to know regarding the Welsh Government and Visit Wales.

The takeaway comment from Jason at that meeting was… ‘So What!’

Jason Thomas, Director of Culture, Sport and Tourism, knew of me and my complaints. His attitude was interesting. He didn’t care that hundreds of businesses offering guiding services across Wales, including walking festivals, local guides and Wales-wide businesses were precluded from entry onto the Visit Wales website by Visit Wales onboarding protocols.

Importantly he also said that my complaint of unaccredited businesses receiving promotions and a platform was concerning and that he understood that work was being done to remedy that.

But work was not being done and to date there remain hundreds of businesses that fall foul of Visit Wales's own rules, that should therefore not be platformed, but are live on the Visit Wales website. Wales Outdoors have supplied lists of these businesses to Visit Wales staff, since March 2020. We assert there cannot be a two-tier approach. The Welsh Government is using public money to promote some but not others and as far as we are concerned this is an abuse of power and of public funds. If there are rules precluding some then those same rules ought to be applied fairly and across the board.

Please remember that in the anniversary year of the Wales Coast Path and in the two subsequent years of ‘Wales by Trails’ Jason has presided over a platform that returns ZERO guided walk providers that can deliver guided walks for tourists and casual visitors. His response is ‘So What!’

Furthermore, seven of the Visit Wales 2024 partners fall foul of Visit Wales rules and are receiving promotion through copy and listings when they should not be on the Visit Wales site. At least one of these partners was highlighted to Visit Wales staff as not being compliant with their rules at the time of my meeting with Jason. This is gaslighting in extremis.

This should be concerning to you all and certainly is something that Jason is fully aware of and that he should have grasped, investigated and put right back in October of 2023.

One has to ask why Jason seems happy for some to be platformed outside of Visit Wales onboarding rules and yet others, such as Wales Outdoors, are not allowed this courtesy.

Jason’s ‘So What!’ statement and attitude with regard to this matter is shocking and is a response that cannot be explained as mismanagement. I therefore conclude that nepotism is at play here and that surely cannot be allowed to continue.

You can book our walks through the Wales Outdoors Website or, if you are a group, you can book us for a bespoke adventure, you choose the date and time, using the ‘Book Your Guide’ option.

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