The Welsh Government Are Modern Day Cnut's

And I know you can re-arrange the letters, and yes, they are that Anglo-Saxon phrase too.

From the First Minister, three in just a few months, through the minister responsible for tourism, the fourth in less than three months, through the senior and middle management of Visit Wales all the way down to the data input staff… They sit on their thrones/office chairs, divesting themselves of taxpayers’ cash by means of often ludicrous and dreadfully implemented campaigns and schemes, all the time knowing that the waves of discontent, cries of ‘malfeasance’ and reams of evidence that wash at their feet will never be the sea that they will drown in.

The Senedd Building. Built at huge expense with a 100-year life. Mostly made of glass to express openness in government, allowing citizens to peer inside. But that openness is a lie, as I have so completely shown…

They are the untouchables. They promise action which never comes and answers that are never given, they lie to each other, they lie to the public and worse still they use taxpayers’ money to favour some over others.

It makes no difference what route of complaint is taken. Be it ombudsman, police, Senedd representative, minister or judge. None will pursue truth on behalf of a Welsh citizen, indeed, what is witnessed is a closing of ranks followed by a solid wall of silence.

4 1/2 Years of Campaigning for Wales Outdoors

Wales Outdoors was removed from the Visit Wales website in March of 2020. So be it. Since then I have been campaigning for a level playing field. You see, many businesses offering the same activities as Wales Outdoors remained platformed by Visit Wales, and that just did not sit well with me.

Assurances from Heledd Owen and Jon Munro

I was assured by Jon at a meeting with Heledd in attendance that the only route onto the Visit Wales website for any business offering guided walks was through their not fit for purpose accreditation scheme. A scheme I was not prepared to pay for. Indeed, I can evidence the removal of some businesses for exactly this, being listed but not accredited. But only some. A good few remained. I demanded that Visit Wales implement its stupid rules against all businesses on their platform. They never have.

First Minister Indifference

I met with Mark Drakeford. What a waste of time! A nice enough bloke, in person, but a seasoned politician, saying the right thing to my face and then doing sweet FA. And Vaughan Gething? Well, he’s a one, isn’t he, with his allegations of bribery and of lying to the Covid inquiry… Wales has a new First Minister now but it is most certainly business as usual…

FOI Requests

The benchmark for transparency and open government, right? Wrong! Not only are they returned often with whole pages redacted but in my case they are often refused. And refused by the manager with responsibility for the matters being investigated!

Then There Is A Win!

So, after four and a half years, all documented in my blog posts here, I decided enough was enough and instead of battling the Cnut’s, sending emails and getting the same non-responses, having my FOI requests denied, I’d simply sell Wales Outdoors, which I did. So, please remember, I was refused a listing on Visit Wales for four and a half years and I was told that ALL businesses offering guided walks required the Visit Wales not fit for purpose accreditation… The new owner of Wales Outdoors is my wife and she applied for a listing with Visit Wales for Wales Outdoors. This was granted and she, as the new owner, was live within a week and a week later she had applied for a travel trade listing and she is live on that site too.

My wife will contract me in to deliver the guided walks as offered by Wales Outdoors… You do the math!

A Gutless Industry

Despite receiving hearty support during my campaigning from a few, and words of encouragement from others, my hope of highlighting the real damage being perpetrated upon the tourism sector in Wales by Visit Wales was that tourism industry leaders and operators alike would come together and demand change, from the top down. But that has not transpired… Many businesses have been ill-treated by Visit Wales and many listings have been removed from the platform. Wales Outdoors is now the only bookable provider of guided walks in Wales and Visit Wales will not countenance the listing of prestigious festivals such as Hay Walking Festival, or of professional mountain guide owned businesses, but incongruously, it seems wedded to, against its stated to me rules, allowing tour agents from across the globe listings that offer guided walks. These have zero accountability. Once again… You do the math!

Gatekeeper Fear

And I believe this ‘tourism revolution’ has not transpired due to fear of the gatekeepers. Hard-working operators feel that they have to keep the gatekeepers ‘on side’ in order to gain copy, listings, further promotions and wider audiences through greater access to the many authority-owned and run websites.

Tap Out

So, I’ll leave them all to it. To their inglorious world of toadying to the fat cats in Welsh Government and for those within that government, I’ll leave them to their malfeasance. I feel dirty even thinking about them. I’m done. My time fighting the Cnut’s is over and it’s time to take a long bath…

I’m now concentrating on working for my wife and on my other business, Wales Guided Tours. This does not mean I will in future times be silent. No, not at all. I’ll be present at as many Visit Wales attended or held events that I can manage to attend and I will be calling the Visit Wales staff out for what they are, in open forums, for all present to better understand the damage that is being perpetrated upon tourism in Wales.

You can book our walks through the Wales Outdoors Website.

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