Visit Wales Roadshow, Aberystwyth, 25/10/23

I attended the Visit Wales Roadshow with the intention of informing as many as I could about my ongoing grievance with the Welsh Government and their inability to see the knife in the back of tourism policy that is embedded within their accreditation protocols for guides in Wales. There were more actual providers at this roadshow than in attendance at the Newport roadshow a couple of weeks back. I did chat to a few and to the authorities representing and none knew that guides were effectively banned from the Visit Wales website.

Please read my email to Dawn Bowden AM, Minister for Tourism, copied at the bottom of this post and sent 25/10/23, as yet unresponded to… This email outlines my outrage at the Visit Wales team lying to her which she then repeated in a letter to my MP, Kevin Brennan, who has been representing me in this matter.

A few conversations were of note. Most providers were critical of Visit Wales and in the main despondent. Some, in positions of authority within tourism management in Wales, said things like ‘don’t rock the boat as if you do you’ll never get any traction with Visit Wales as they never forget’, or, in relation to Visit Wales misleading their minister ‘it’s what they do’…

I spoke to Steffan again, he approached me, and he was aware that the meeting arranged for 26th October with me had been bumped to 21st November and that I was less than happy with this and he suggested a Teams meeting. I agreed. We'll see if that transpires…

Visit Wales showcased their grant funding initiatives, many of which I see as not that constructive, and I’ll detail a couple here.

Brecon Beacons National Park Visitor Centre Funding was made available to the Brecon Beacons National Park for a refreshed centre and for a mobility scheme. The centre, in my opinion, is a shadow of it’s former self, information being now thin on the ground but the usual tourist tat making up the mainstay of the interpretation space. It’s now a gift shop only in all but name. And the mobility scheme? This will be short lived, as funding for it will end, as it did for the ‘Beacons Bus’, and in any case, wheels on the common? I’m not ‘allowed’ to take wheels on the common, see my post here.

Pont ar Daf Car Park Yes something needed to be done and Wales Outdoors have been calling this location a disgrace to the Brecon Beacons for fifteen years. But the money spent will not alleviate any of the issues associated with the location. Indeed, the redevelopment has exarcapated the issues. When there were 24hr public loos, first in a purpose built block and then with a bank of portaloos, there is now just one loo open outside of visitor centre hours, and by 6pm it’s a disgrace. See my post here where you can also read my thoughts as to why the new car park will not end parking chaos at peak times at this location.

Cosmeston Lakes Funding was granted for a refurbishment of the look of the visitor centre at Cosmeston Lakes. Great! But wait! The cafe is like something from the 1970’s and oh so overpriced. I complained to the local authority as to why a great Cardiff Cafe or similar was not managing the contract for the cafe and they said that it had gone out to tender to a business in the Midlands who offered best value… Well, best value if you want low quality hot dogs and tired cakes at a criminal price…

Multiple Large Visitor Attraction Projects ‘They’ do not want visitors to the countryside. They do not want professional guides out there doing stuff that they can’t control. Hence the focus of expensive large projects that guide visitors to car parks and cafes and visitor centres that have no useful tourist information available and little but expensive vicarious pleasure activities on offer.

Transport In Wales It was agreed public transport in wales is shocking. It was agreed that rural bus services are being cut and that this is likely to continue. At the same time the Welsh Government have a stated policy of effectively ending private vehicle use. I reckon I’ve got a maximum of five years left of hotel pick ups and the driving clients to great guided walks in Wales. This message recently received tells this story well.

That’s one lost client, lost because they cannot make their way to the most popular start point for the Eight Waterfalls walk (now six due to the Brecon Beacons National Park’s closure of a vital footpath in this area) by public transport from the capital of Wales.

They Know Nothing Visit Wales will spend a small fortune making glossy videos showcasing the results of their spending but it is clear they know nothing about provision on the ground. This is because they are not the providers and unfortunately, as is evidenced in my case and from feedback I have from many in the industry, they do not engage with or even listen to the providers at the coal face of Welsh tourism. Or, worse still, they do understand but they want to see an end to small businesses and have visitors guided to the corporate attractions that they fund so generously.

Email to Dawn Bowden AM:

Dear Dawn, I'd like to bring to your attention and have a response from you a matter regarding your response to Kevin Brennan's original letter. 

Kevin did not ask whether I was alone in complaining about there being no guided walk providers on the Visit Wales platform. But you decided, on Visit Wales staff's nudging, as it is they that wrote your letter, to make it appear to Kevin that I was a lone complainer...

However, an FOI request has revealed that I am not alone. Indeed, I calculate that there are a minimum of 74 complainants, albeit 70 of them being represented by the Blue Badge Guide association WOTGA.

Please can you explain why you mislead Kevin Brennan MP and what action you intend to take regarding staff at Visit Wales misleading you, in an attempt to belittle me and so my support from my MP.

This is what you said

‘We are not aware that other outdoor activity providers have raised any issues around this approach. but we are nevertheless taking Mr Lamb's concerns very seriously and we will look again at our processes to ensure they are fit-for-purpose and report back on the results to Mr Lamb /you when this process is concluded.’

My FOI returned two other providers in discussion with Visit Wales on just this matter plus WOTGA had been in a series of long discussions with Visit Wales management, on behalf of their members, also regarding the same points that I have raised. 

If this was submitted in court this would likely be considered as perjury. 

I await your swift and full explanation. 

Andrew Lamb

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