Rachel Cilliers - Chair Of The South East Wales Regional Tourism Forum
And the Welsh Governments Micro Managing Of Tourism Forum Membership
I first wrote to Rachel, asking for her assistance with a simple question, ‘Why is it that Visit Wales will not list Wales Outdoors BUT Visit Wales will list other similarly placed businesses that deliver similar products’. I asked for her assistance with this issue on 11th September 2023, the day before she took over as chair of the South East Wales Regional Tourism Forum.
This matter is currently with Mark Drakeford MS and I have reported the matter to the police as a case of fraud (using public money to favour some businesses over and above others) and am about to submit a case to Cardiff Courts. This matter must be resolved as it cannot be allowed for a government entity to implement its rules arbitrarily. This matter has been ongoing in its current form since March 2020. I have given plenty of opportunity for the likes of Heledd Owen to explain, for example, why they have made a partner in 2024 of one business while not allowing Wales Outdoors, similar in every way, a platform, or why, despite repeated assurances, Visit Wales are unable to maintain compliance with their own not fit for purpose rules and their own stated assurances.
From my perspective, Rachel has, since the 11th September, not acted as a representative of the tourism community in South East Wales and indeed has been unprofessional as displayed by her abrogation of duty to voice concerns that she is made aware of. Further, I believe Rachel has worked with the Welsh Government to preclude me from becoming a member of the South East Wales Tourism Forum. At my insistence, the minutes from the 26th Feb meeting of the forum were published and once again there was no evidence of my complaints being discussed and the brief section on new members of the forum was just that, the matter being pushed down the line, this following requests for expressions of interest dating back to October 2023. My communication with both the Welsh Government and Rachel on this matter of membership of the forum, where I ask for updates and clarification, is, from the Welsh Government’s side, chaotic.
I copy in full my lengthy message thread to Rachel Cilliers and following that the content of the emails sent requesting updates on membership of the forum. You make your own decision regarding transparency, fairness and effectiveness of what I must now regard as networking opportunities for those who are ‘well liked’…
On another matter, that of adequate industry representation. I detail here the members of the South East Wales Regional Tourism Forum and make bold those members who are operators. I think this in itself is rather telling. Of the forty one members almost all are authority employees with just three tourism business managers in attendance at the last meeting and of the forty one members just ten deliver services to tourists and have their skin in the game:
Attendees Of The Forum Meeting 26/2/24
Chair – Rachel Cilliers (Rock UK), Heledd Owen, Claire Carew, Jo Starkey, Rebecca Rees (Visit Wales), Sally Walters (Dwr Cymru), Lyndsey Handley (Merthyr Tydfil Council), Alyson Tippings (Blaenau Gwent CBC), Nia Hollins (Vale of Glamorgan Council), Alice Brown (Bridgend Council), Faye Tanner (Cardiff Council), Phill Sykes (Aneurin Leisure), Lynne Richards (Newport Council), Phil Lewis (Valleys Regional Park), Claire Hamer (Museums Wales), Michele Hunt (RSPB), Sarah Higgs (Parkway Hotel), Julian Hitchcock (Town and Country Collective), Kevin Ford (Monmouthshire Council), Victoria Leyson (Transport for Wales), Stephen Leeke (Vale Resort), Hamish Munro (Caerphilly Council), Rhian Richards (Cowshed)
Declined: Tim Howell (Parkdean Resorts), Martin Astley (Bike Park Wales), Kim Waters (Abergavenny Food Festival), Rhodri Davies (Museum Wales), Kate Gardner (National Trust), Fiona Wilton (Monmouthshire Cottages, Kerry Jennings (Parkway Hotel), Jo Nugent (Angel Hotel), Rebecca Clay (Visit Dean Wye Tourism Association), Nicola Edwards (Monmouthshire Council), Julie Heaven (Aneurin Leisure), Beth Meade (WMC), Antony Bolter (Caerphilly CBC), Paul Rees (College Cymoedd), Paul Brandwood (Royal Mint), Nerys Royal (RCTCBC), Adrian Cole (Caerphilly Tourism Association), Stephen Davies (Penderyn distillery)
The Messages Continued
I followed up my 23rd September message to Rachel on 30th September and then October 3rd and October 10th then, having no response, I shimmied up beside her whilst she was chatting to Paul Donovan, the chair of Wales Adventure Tourism Organisation at the first Visit Wales Roadshow near Newport on October 12th and waited until she ‘noticed’ me and I had a short conversation with her and in person asked her to look into my complaint.
On October 16th I wrote expressing an interest in taking Rachel up on her open offer to the room at the Visit Wales roadshow, where she called for business owners to step up and join the tourism forum, in an attempt to voice the lack of active business owner membership of the forum. She responded to this October 23rd asking what would I bring to the group and that a fair few had expressed interest. I, that day supplied her with my impressive bio which includes having been chair of Brecon Beacons Tourism, the instigator of both the environmental charter for activity providers in the Brecon Beacons National Park and for SWOAPG, the activity providers group for South and Mid Wales as well as having been a D of E and Princess Trust Co-ordinator and of course the owner of a successful activity business for about thirty years. I informed her that I was undergoing Green Badge Guide training and so by April would also be a qualified tourist guide for Wales giving a broad network of contacts both in the activity and tourist guiding areas.
I wrote again to Rachel on November 6th and November 8th which she responded to with a couple of lines saying that my meeting with Steffan Roberts of Visit Wales should have resolved things. I wrote back on the same day confirming Visit Wales had agreed that they were not working to their protocols and they promised that they would clean up their act.
I wrote to Rachel again on January 21st 2024 outlining that Visit Wales had not been true to their word and I expected her to act on my behalf.
I wrote to Rachel again on February 19th outlining a different matter, one of local authorities not onboarding businesses onto their tourism portals and I detailed the chaotic approach to promoting tourist services in Wales. In this message I once again reiterated that Visit Wales were not doing as they said they would and that they were continuing to favour some businesses, outside of their own rules, over others.
Here Is The Thread
I sent multiple messages with multiple links out to evidence and asking for assistance and received a couple of paragraphs back. I copy the whole thread here:
SEP 11, 2023Andrew Lamb sent the following messages at 11:44 AM
I'm writing to you as upcoming chair of the SE tourism forum. Please read this - https://walesoutdoors.substack.com/p/calling-all-tourism-businesses-andy - and the linked to background to the complaint blog post - your comments/assistance in this matter are welcome.
Further information - The Visit Wales team will tell you that Wales Outdoors is not accredited by Visit Wales and delivers adventurous activities and so is not allowed to list under guided walking on the Visit Wales platform. Here is a brief timeline of communication.
2020 I updated my listing and was promptly removed from the platform for not being accredited by Visit Wales. I complained that many others were on the platform that were also no accredited and much to my horror, instead of engaging with the industry, they removed many and told me that those businesses that were found to be not accredited would continue to be removed.
2021 I took Visit Wales to court for continuing to not allow Wales Outdoors onto the platform whilst allowing other similar businesses listings. This resulted in a meeting with Heledd Owen in 2022 who assured me that all had been removed and that this would continue on an ongoing basis. Jon Munro has been in discussion with me ever since, effectively stringing me along, saying that he was working on meetings with the relevant people to see how guided walk providers could be allowed back onto the platform without accreditation. I gave him proposals that could expedite this. This process continued through 2022.
2023 I noted very many links out to and businesses listed on Visit Wales that are unaccredited by Visit Wales, all my competitors in fact, and so once again, at the beginning of August I asked for their removal from the platform OR the allowing of Wales Outdoors the same opportunity. It was then that they came up with the 30 minute rule (they say a guide walking in the countryside who is 30 minutes from their vehicle is leading an adventurous activity and so needs to be accredited). I have sent them a full list of those businesses I found that offer this and that according to their rules should be deleted. They have gone silent, refuse to communicate with me, and have not removed the businesses I highlighted.
I do not want those businesses deleted from the platform. However, I cannot sit back and have them listed whilst my business is disallowed. This has been ongoing for over twenty years now!
I have given Visit Wales notice that I will attend their offices today at 1pm and that I expect a meeting to resolve these issues.
I am a qualified Mountain Leader with all of the relevant insurances and close to 100% 5 Star feedback over 260 reviews. I have been in this industry for just about thirty years. I deliver, in the main, low level walks on public footpaths and these are always no more than 30 minutes from a road. I have offered to remove my Snowdon hike from my website if that helps to gain me access to the Visit Wales platform. I also have another business that ONLY delivers low level walks and this is also disallowed from listing guided walks. Here are two examples of the duplicitous nature of Visit Wales listing policy from the dozens that I have on record:
tourswales is listed and unaccredited. They offer adventure activities and guided walks as well as tours based in a vehicle.
Visit Wales editorial often links out to unaccredited providers, the example here is the Ramblers, a guided walk provider that is not accredited.
It must be of concern that all walking festivals, river fishing tours, foraging and waterfall walks, coastal rambles and hillwalking, according to Visit Wales rules, must be removed from the Visit Wales website.
Your help in this matter is much appreciated. If you haven't done so please do read this post which I sent to all officers, ministers and my MP - https://walesoutdoors.substack.com/p/visit-wales-promises-mean-f-all
SEP 23, 2023 Andrew Lamb 8:18 AM
Hi Rachel. Just an update. No response from Visit Wales since 18th August. Dawn Bowden's office, in response to my MP, failed to answer any of the questions he asked. Repeated calls to meet have failed to see a date set. Vaughan Gething has refused a request to meet saying 'whilst ongoing discussions are taking place it would be inappropriate to meet'. Well, I'm involved in zero discussions, but not for the lack of trying. My FOI which ought to have been responded to within 20 days has been extended to the fullest extent and I will need to wait until 20th November for the information, for my information, my data. This is clearly obfuscation and I believe Visit Wales have finally found themselves to be doing exactly what I've been accusing them of and must be looking at how to 'save face'.
SEP 30, 2023 Andrew Lamb 6:28 PM
Visit Wales have informed me that once an FOI request is received the Welsh Government effectively circle the wagons, seek legal advice and stop all engagement.
My FOI was for my data stored digitally by the Welsh Government and is wholly separate to my complaint of unfair practices having been ongoing at Visit Wales for twenty years and more.
They will now not respond to me until 20th November, on any matter, and I continue to be disadvantaged in the Tourism Marketplace that is publicly funded and mismanaged by them.
On four occasions now I've requested a meeting to resolve issues but they continue to refuse a face to face or to respond to my legitimate questions of 18th August.
I hope to meet you at one of their upcoming roadshows where I will be outlining my easily probable claims of malfeasance.
OCT 3, 2023 Andrew Lamb 11:53 AM
Timeline of my efforts to have the Welsh Government work in everyone's interests not just the few... https://walesoutdoors.substack.com/p/malfeasance-at-visit-wales-and-the
Malfeasance At Visit Wales And The Welsh Governmentwalesoutdoors.substack.com • 3 min read
OCT 10, 2023 Andrew Lamb 2:44 PM
Hi Rachel, I see you will be speaking at the roadshow on Thursday. If you have time it would be good to have a quick chat regarding my evidence of malfeasance within Visit Wales. I've attached the flyer I'll be distributing on the day.
Untitled 2.pdf
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OCT 16, 2023 Andrew Lamb 10:28 AM
Thank you for chatting to me at the Newport Visit Wales Roadshow. I'd be happy to sit in at meetings with you as an independent small business working in Wales. please let me know how to sign up :)
OCT 23, 2023Rachel Cilliers (Allen) sent the following message at 1:48 PM
Hi Andrew
Thank you, we have had a number of people express an interest and will be reviewing all the expressions of interest in the New Year once all the roadshows have finished. We are looking for people who, through their professional lives can feed into wider networks. Please could you email explaining what networks you and linked into and the benefits that you would bring to the group. Thanks
Andrew Lamb sent the following message at 3:23 PM
I am effectively a one man band and so my networks aren't huge but they are growing, with accommodation providers being the largest growth area. However, I have 30 years of delivering events to tourists to Wales. Here is my short bio: Owner Wales Outdoors I opened the first mountain bike hire business in the Brecon Beacons National Park in 1995. Since then my business, Wales Outdoors, has grown and morphed and is now the most active and most popular guided walk provider in Wales. I have been a volunteer co-ordinator, guided walks programme organiser and part time central area warden for the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority, chair of Brecon Beacons Tourism, a Duke of Edinburghs area co-ordinator, a Princes Trust social inclusion manager, the catalyst for the Brecon Beacons National Park Environment Charter and a lead motivator for the inception of the outdoor activity peer group, SWOAPG.
I am currently looking at green badge guide training and accreditation and I am in contact with a few tourism specialists and with Visit Wales management. I work with a small network of accommodation providers too.
I believe that Wales is a walking destination and as such we are not making the most of the professional guiding available in Wales. It is this that adds value to stays in Wales and I believe that accommodation providers are missing out on adding value to their client's stays because of a lack of promotion of the hundreds of guides, both historical and mountain. This reduces the opportunity for repeat bookings and for 5 star referrals.
I take a keen interest in tourism in Wales, understand both the adventure activity and event industries as well as having dabbled in accommodation provision and route and kit hire. I work with coach tour companies from Europe, group bookings for my events and with individual bookings made by tourists to Wales from every continent (apart from Antarctica of course) for walks that I convert into group bookings by chasing multiple bookings for the same date.
OCT 25, 2023Andrew Lamb sent the following messages at 5:34 PM
I've also just bought an established tour company that delivers all wales, north wales and south wales 3 and 7 day tours and so will be networked with a wide range of accommodation providers and attractions through that and further I've decided to go for the Blue Badge Guide quali and that networks me with all those in WOTGA
NOV 6, 2023 Andrew Lamb 4:53 PM
Just had my meeting with Visit Wales, 77 days after the asking, and I got 30 minutes. They will continue to remove all guides that deliver walks, be that Blue Badge or Mountain Leader, from the Visit Wales website. They will look at cleaning up the site as per my blog post of today. They appear to be in discussion about having a two-tier system of listing with a badge for accredited and a badge for those not accredited by Visit Wales. They say this will take some time. I feel this could be something they are looking at but it could also be a mechanism to get me off their backs for a while. If they are looking at this as an option it is a long way off implementation and so the only portal, be it government or local authority, in the UK, to have no walk leaders or guides on their site, is Visit Wales, and this will remain the case for a very long time.
NOV 8, 2023 Andrew Lamb 3:47 PM
Sent to all regional forum chairs:
I think now is the time for those with some authority to apply pressure on the Visit Wales team to, in good time, find a way for those that provide walks in the countryside that take the client more than 30 minutes from the guides vehicle (their rules), access to the Visit Wales platform without having to go through the accreditation process, which none in the industry have chosen to do.
There is no conflict of interest here as there are none that have (not quite true, there are four, one being a pilgrimage business and so appealing to a specific demographic and the other two being adventure activity businesses requiring four or more clients to book and the other requiring group bookings too and all with no live availability). Therefore, allowing the many businesses onto the Visit Wales platform that offer up experiences, be they qualified mountain leaders offering mountain days or blue badge holders going for longer walks across country to historic locations, will only benefit visitors to Wales and will add value to accommodation providers by ensuring that the visitors gain as much as is possible from their stay.
I've sent this to all Forum Chairs and hope that collectively you will be able to nudge Visit Wales to, in good time, implement their commitment to me that a two tier approach, clearly labelling accredited providers and unaccredited providers, will, be discussed and introduced.
My advice on this is that on the listing request form there are these new self declarations:
When you tick activity there is another option:
Are your activities covered by Adventure Activity Licensing?
Yes - then the applicant is directed to the activity self declaration or accreditation that already exists
No - then the applicant is asked this question
Are your activities technical in nature (climbing, caving etc)
Yes - then the applicant is directed to the activity self declaration or accreditation that already exists
No - then the applicant is asked one further question...
Do you have the relevant qualification for the activity offered?
Yes - then the application proceeds
No - then the application is refused.
That's it, job done...
I recommend a self declaration and there should be a list of relevant qualifications. For walking the text could be something like this:
'This applies to providers where the guided walk takes place in the countryside and travels further than 30 minutes from a road or refuge (this could also be guides vehicle as WATO have advised, but that is overkill and goes way beyond UK licensing law). Applicants agree to work within the best practice guidelines as outlined by their national governing body.
Guided Walking up to 600m requires a moorland hill leader award
Guided Walking over 600m requires a mountain leader award
Please note: Anyone found to be working in contravention of their self declaration will be removed from the Visit Wales site. Applicants agree to random staff qualification checks as and when required by Visit Wales. Visit Wales welcomes submission of staff qualifications in support of this application.'
I believe this approach not only satisfies Visit Wales desire to ensure safe practice but that it goes beyond UK national law by ensuring that those delivering more remote countryside walks have self declared the vigorous training and assessment for the experience they intend to offer. It could be that a requirement is that providers display their staff qualifications on their website, as Wales Outdoors does - see here
I thank you for your time in this and do hope that collectively we can see progress on this matter.
NOV 11, 2023Rachel Cilliers (Allen) sent the following message at 1:27 PM
HI Andrew
I raised your issues with Stefan Roberts yesterday who said you had met with him earlier this week and had a short and longer term plan which will help. I am sure you are not completely happy with the outcome but it is good that you managed a meeting.
Andrew Lamb sent the following messages at 4:24 PM
Thank you Rachel, yes, Visit Wales finally admitted fault and has agreed to maintain a level playing field, so, no providers offering guided walks on the platform for the time being. This has been an immense effort on my part and one that has made me no friends in government but as they say themselves, in internal communications, 'the points Andy raises are almost always valid ones'. My 'campaign' has been validated and for the time being I am happy.
Now pressure must be maintained to have professional guides listed in good time so that tourism in Wales can benefit from the wide range of guided walks and more remote historical site visits that many legitimate tourism businesses across Wales offer.
This has all been agreed so it is now just a matter of how long before the changes are able to be implemented and it is this that I am concerned about given it has taken me three and a half years and a great deal of legal threats and 'shouting' to get to this point.
JAN 21 Andrew Lamb 11:40 AM
My complaint of gross mismanagement/nepotism with regard to Visit Wales is now a stage 2 complaint. When there is a response, if I am unhappy with it, I will then send all details to the Ombudsman for Wales.
My complaint regarding overreach, resulting in there being no products on the Visit Wales website that offer guided walks for visitors to Wales, is being given a period of consultation and you will likely be contacted and asked for your opinion on this matter.
I'd like to reiterate that:
1. Visit Wales is alone of all tourism websites in demanding this level of oversight
2. Uptake of guided walk providers and Blue Badge Guides for the VW accreditation scheme is 2 group booking businesses
3. The VW accreditation scheme goes far beyond UK legislation
4. VW have been proven to be unable to administer the VW website in line with their own accreditation protocols resulting in my stage 2 complaint
If you would like to discuss these matters or ask any questions then I am an email/chat or phone call away.
It's good we are here but I fear that vested interests will insist that the protocols as they are, remain, or perhaps the Welsh Government might seek to develop their own compulsory scheme, similar to AALA. Neither of these outcomes would be good for tourism in Wales. I ask for your support in urging the Visit Wales Regional Tourism team to bring their platform into line with UK legislation and so have qualified guides able to list their mountain and countryside walks/tours without interference and cost.
This is the information that the Regional Tourism team will be looking at when reaching out to all stakeholders:
1. Wales Outdoors is of the opinion that Visit Wales is not fit to manage the Visit Wales website as Wales Outdoors asserts they do not follow their own rules when listing activity providers and despite years of complaining about this far from level playing field Visit Wales have never improved their operational procedures. Example - https://www.visitwales.com/attraction/sightseeing-tour/adventure-tours-uk-2166486 - Visit Wales onboarded this business FOLLOWING a meeting I had with Heledd Owen in September 2022 where I was promised due diligence when onboarding new providers. They are called ADVENTURE TOURS! They offer walks and adventure activities. I notified Visit Wales of this errant business, along with approx 30 others, in August 2023. They are not accredited. They have received copy and a Travel Trade listing too.
2. The Visit Wales Adventure Activity Assurance Scheme goes far beyond UK law with Visit Wales standing alone of all tourism portals in the UK, be they government, local authority, membership or privately managed, in demanding accreditation of legitimate, qualified and legally operating businesses. Evidence - https://walesoutdoors.substack.com/p/outdoor-professionals-a-soulless
3. Wales Outdoors assert wilful inconsistency, that can only be either nepotism or gross mismanagement, on the behalf of Visit Wales in that Visit Wales, in full knowledge of their 'errors', list and promote many businesses that are delivering adventure activities and guided countryside walks whilst refusing Wales Outdoors a platform.
4. Wales Outdoors raises issues about Visit Wales accreditation which should, if fully and fairly implemented, see all walking festivals, Blue Badge Guides working in countryside locations and guided walk professionals precluded from entry on the Visit Wales platform if they chose not to pay for Visit Wales accreditation. Evidence - https://walesoutdoors.substack.com/p/why-i-wont-pay-for-visit-wales-accreditation
5. Wales Outdoors walks are delivered by a mountain leader of 30 years standing. The Visit Wales accreditation scheme allows for a leader who has not been vigorously tested by gaining a respected NGB award to become accredited for delivery of guided walks after a home visit and some hours observation on one day of delivery.
6. Wales Outdoors is of the opinion that Visit Wales is unfairly excluding guided walks business from the platform by asking leaders to be accredited by a scheme that is aimed at adventure activity providers and by not only going beyond UK law but also by, in parts, re writing the law. In Wales Outdoors opinion this is to suit vested interests.
7. Wales Outdoors estimates that the Welsh economy is losing revenue due to the exclusion of guided walk providers, walking festivals and Blue Badge Guides from the Visit Wales website, which reduces visitor spend and repeat bookings.
8. Wales Outdoors points out that guided walk providers, walking festivals and Blue Badge Guides are able to work with ALL OTHER UK tourism portals, a good example being Visit Britain, without being accredited, but not with Visit Wales.
Wales Outdoors is of the opinion that Visit Wales should not concern itself with seeking costly and time consuming accreditation from those businesses. Wales Outdoors asserts that if a business is operating within the law and holds the appropriate NGB's for the activity it delivers then featuring those businesses star ratings, aggregated from those businesses re-sellers and google etc. will be more useful to any potential client than an anarchist sign stamped on their Visit Wales listing.
FEB 19View Andrew’s profile
Hi Rachel, just an update. I've achieved a review of the Visit Wales Adventure Activity Assurance Scheme and that is currently ongoing. I believe the questions asked by those tasked with the review were poorly constructed and did not give any background information, such as explaining UK law, prior to asking for a response, but I expected nothing more from them.
Further, my complaint of Visit Wales platforming some and not others is with the Ombudsman for Wales and this complaint has been taken on and is currently being investigated. I expect a response in a few weeks time.
I have a meeting with Mark Drakeford to discuss both of these matters on Friday.
I have received support from across a wide range of tourism notables and individual business owners for the effort I've put into seeing Visit Wales see sense and work to a level playing field. My damning report to the ombudsman can be found here https://walesoutdoors.substack.com/p/complaint-against-visit-wales-sent
I would also like to draw your attention to what I see as chaos with the delivery of tourism portals. I think some work needs to be done in rationalising the entry points for visitors and having local authorities step away from micro-managing their content. A great example is NPTC which Swansea manages. I can't get listed on this site despite delivering the bulk of my hiking provision with the county and bringing in thousands of visitors each year to the area - https://walesoutdoors.substack.com/p/wales-outdoors-asked-to-be-listed
Email Exchangers With The Welsh Government Regarding Membership Of The Forum
Chaos is what I get when dealing with anyone in the Welsh Government and this exchange of emails does not buck that trend…
Andrew Lamb 23/10/23 - I'd like to be a member of the panel please. How do I go about getting included in the meetings?
Welsh Gov 24/10/23 - Thank you for your email. I am covering in the South East for my colleague Rebecca Rees at the moment. I will speak with the Chair of the forum and get back to you in due course.
Andrew Lamb 24/10/23 - Thank you Nathan and I look forwards to hearing from you.
Welsh Gov 7/11/23 - Following the forum update by the Chair, Rachel Cilliars, at the recent SE roadshow Rachel received a few enquiries about joining and supporting the work of the forum, of which you are one. As a result, the roadshows and membership will be discussed at the next meeting. Ultimately, any new member needs to be agreed by the Chair of the Forum and its members. The SE forum is one of the biggest fora, but whilst they already have sufficient members they are always looking to refresh, particularly in terms of making the group more diverse. Once the forum has identified spaces and gaps in representation, they will put out an open call for members and will be in touch with you as soon as that happens.
Andrew Lamb 28/12/23 - I've not heard anything Nathan. Given that I am an independent guide working in both the Mountain Leader and Blue Badge sectors, who is active both by delivery of more bookable days than any other provider in Wales (750 events listed for 2024) and in networking with tourism professionals across Wales, who has been an employee of the Brecon Beacons National Park, the Princes Trust, the Duke of Edinburghs Award, has been chair of Brecon Beacons Tourism, was the catalyst for the development of both the BBNP Environmental Charter and for SWOAPG, has worked with the Foreign Office, the BBC, Channel Four and ITV, I am surprised that my request for membership of the forum has returned silence. I would have thought that my longevity in the industry, 29 years and counting, and broad range of experience from humble beginnings as the first mountain bike guide and hire point in the Brecon Beacons through many years as a multi activity provider delivering adventures to youth and adult groups, to now, the owner of two tourism businesses, one being the leading guided walk provider in Wales and the other an aspiring Blue Badge Guiding service for Wales ,would have ticked all of the boxes necessary. This especially as Rachel Cilliars, the chair, requested in an open forum expressions of interest in membership, not from more public body members, but from active providers of tourism services. At this forum, the Visit Wales Roadshow in Newport, Rachel mentioned that the forum did not have enough members, not as you stated, that the forum was full. Please advise on how far forwards the South East Wales Regional Tourism Forum is with decisions on new members.
Andrew Lamb 21/1/24 - Are you going to get back to me on this Nathan? I would like to know how far forwards Rachel is with appointing new members and also what the current share of authority as opposed to operators the forum has.
Welsh Gov 22/1/24 - I was covering the SE region between October and December whilst my colleague was on secondment. Rebecca Rees (copied in) is now back. I have spoken to her about your request to join the forum and have forwarded her the email exchange between us both. As I mentioned in my last email, membership of the forum will be discussed in the next meeting. That meeting is due to take place at the end of February.
Andrew Lamb 22/1/24 - Thank you for keeping me informed. I'll look forward to any outcome at the end of February. Is there any transparency with this process? Are the meetings proceedings live streamed? Are the minutes available and when? is there a protocol for onboarding new members? This is frustrating in that the call went out at a public meeting on 12th October and any that said 'hey, I'd like to help' are left waiting for what will be over 6 months before they can begin to engage. Not an ideal process and one that is far from dynamic and reactive.
Andrew Lamb 5/2/24 - hi Nathan can you answer the questions that I have raised? What is the split on the SE forum of owner operated and authority? Is there transparency in the process of onboarding new members? Are meetings live streamed? Are minutes available and when? Is there a protocol for onboarding new members?
Welsh Gov 5/2/24 - I’m not sure of the split in SE Forum as I was only standing in for a short period before Christmas whilst Rebecca Rees (cc’d) was on secondment. Meetings are not streamed but the minutes are available on the Business Wales pages. Working together | Business Wales (gov.wales). Details of on boarding new members are outlined in the Regional_Fora_Terms_of_Reference_Oct-2022_EN.pdf (gov.wales). Whilst Visit Wales provide the secretariat for the meetings, we do not make decisions about membership. New members must be approved by the Chair and the current Forum members.
Andrew Lamb 5/2/24 - Thank you Nathan. Just a shame I had to email again to get answered.
Welsh Gov 8/2/24 - Thank you for your interest and apologies for the delay in responding to you, although I believe Nathan has been in regular contact with you. We have had quite a lot of interest in joining the Forum recently and we will be reviewing this with the Chair and Forum over the coming weeks. In the meantime, every Local Authority is a member on the Forum so you can feed in your views via your representative. Minutes from every meeting are published online following their approval by the Forum members. I’m sure you’re already fully engaged with us, but you can keep up to date with any news and information for the industry by signing up to our newsletter.
Andrew Lamb 5/4/24 - hi Rebecca, can you please tell me when the last meeting was as it appears that no minutes for this year have been published.
Welsh Gov 10/4/24 - The minutes have just been agreed by the members, see attached.
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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