The Welsh Government Think YOU Are An All Year Round Fool!

Yes, they waste your money whilst lining their own pockets, at least that has to be the conclusion when confronted with the folders of evidence I have at my disposal. And they do so with impunity, in the knowledge that they are untouchable, forever unaccountable and happy to twist their own rules to suit their friends, relations and ever-burgeoning pockets.

The Ombudsman for Wales has been in touch. It’s taken a while, but they responded to my request that they investigate the Welsh Government department, Visit Wales. To read my claim, which accuses Visit Wales of either gross incompetence or nepotism or both, in that they bar some businesses from their platform whilst promoting some similar and similarly placed businesses, please GO HERE and for supplementary evidence please GO HERE.

The Ombudsman for Wales said they could not investigate my claim of malfeasance against Visit Wales. This is because the legislation regarding what they can investigate is tightly worded. Despite having sympathy with my claim they said that they cannot investigate the evidence I have supplied, which shows Visit Wales platforming some businesses whilst refusing to platform others. They can investigate my businesses relationship with Visit Wales but cannot look at any other businesses on the Visit Wales platform. Therefore they cannot compare and contrast and so see the injustice that is being perpetrated against my business, Wales Outdoors. .

I am shocked by this response but not too surprised. Teeth for an ombudsman would be a very dangerous thing for all in government and so careful wording of boundaries for investigation purposes is key in to ensuring that no government official, ever, is held accountable.

The bottom line is that Visit Wales and the Welsh Government are the untouchables. There is nowhere left for me to go with this. No court action is possible, although I might submit a zero-value small claim, and the police will likely not investigate this, although I may submit to them my evidence, to see where it goes. And so I will publicly post and link to those named officials accusations of nepotism, gross incompetence and malfeasance on an ongoing basis, in the hope that at least one of that motley crew takes me to court. Let’s see a judge decide the matter.

In the meantime, and ongoing since at least 2006, Visit Wales can promote some businesses, using public money to do so, while refusing to promote many others. And why? They will not answer that simple question. So, nepotism it is!

I ask again, please tell me what is the difference between the Visit Wales partner for 2024, Adventure Tours UK and Wales Outdoors? Adventure Tours UK has multiple promotions on Visit Wales platforms, whilst delivering adventure activities, and Wales Outdoors, a guided walk provider, is denied even a listing. This is just one example of VERY many that I have brought to the attention of these disparate characters, and in the case of Adventure Tours UK, Visit Wales was informed of this errant provider in the autumn of 2023, so prior to Adventure Tours UK being promoted to 2024 Visit Wales Partners…

THE GLOVES ARE OFF...

Kevin Brennan MP - asked questions on my behalf of Dawn Bowden MS and she responded without answering any but instead supplied spurious information, on the advice of Visit Wales staff, with the aim of belittling my claims. He asked further questions and these remain unanswered and Kevin has not pursued the matter.

Mark Drakeford MS - Ongoing but as it took close to six months for him to act I have little hope of any resolution through his intervention. I'll keep on plugging away though.

Vaughan Gething MS Cardiff South & Penarth - Many emails and one in-person meeting down the line and I've received nothing of note from Vaughan. As the 'captain of the ship' at the time I hold Vaughan ultimately responsible.

Dawn Bowden MS - Lied to my MP and has consistently failed to address my serious accusations of malfeasance, all evidenced, which by now can only be construed as nepotism rather than incompetence.

Jason Thomas - Director of Culture, Sport and Tourism - said ' So what!' when told that in the year of the 10th anniversary of the Wales Coast Path and the following two years of 'Wales By Trails' no guided walk providers were being platformed by Visit Wales. There's not a lot more I can say really, his response says it all.

Heledd Owen - Director of Marketing - Tourism and Business - Has all of the evidence and is placed to rectify matters, however, she presides over a department that wilfully denies my and others' businesses a platform whilst promoting very many other businesses that offer the same, and are, like Wales Outdoors, not accredited by the not fit for purpose Visit Wales Adventure Activity Assurance Scheme. Heledd could see Visit Wales operate as it should, tomorrow, but she chooses not to. One has to wonder why...

Steffan Roberts - Deputy Director - Culture, Sport and Tourism - Agreed that Adventure Tours UK, one highlighted example, should not be platformed at a meeting on November 6th. After that meeting, Adventure Tours UK gained both copy and 2024 Visit Wales partner status. One has to wonder why...

And one has to wonder as neither Heledd nor anyone else at Visit Wales will act courteously and explain why one business is promoted and another is denied a listing. I have very many examples of similar

Jon Munro - Managing Director - Cinch - Was my main contact within Visit Wales and it was he who said 'The points Andy makes are almost always valid ones'. However, he is responsible for developing and implementing Visit Wales' digital marketing strategy, which he has consistently failed to do in a fair way. My demand, made of him in 2008 and many times since, to deliver a 'level playing field', has most obviously fallen on deaf ears. One has to wonder why...

Given that these persons, who are in receipt of all evidence I have gathered, remain steadfast in denying some businesses a platform whilst making partners of other similar businesses, I now draw only one conclusion. NEPOTISM.

EXTRACTS FROM THE OMBUDSMAN FOR WALES LETTER

• Having considered all the information, I am sorry to tell you that your complaint is not one which we should investigate.

• We cannot undertake an audit of other organisations that Visit Wales lists on its website

• Visit Wales has full discretion about which organisations it lists on its website

• Whilst I have decided that we will not investigate your complaint, I would like to

  stress that this does not mean I am not sympathetic to the problems you have

  described.

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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