Countdown to Cymru
Policy areas to be covered by the Welsh Assembly
Industrial, economic and social development; health; agriculture, forestry, fisheries and food; local government; housing; social services; transport; planning; the environment; and arts, culture and the Welsh language.
Policy areas to remain entirely with Whitehall include
Overall economic policy; defence and the Armed Forces; foreign policy; the justice system and prisons; police and fire services; broadcasting; and the National Lottery and related matters.
Source: Devolution Unit, Welsh Office
The setting of the newly regenerated Cardiff Bay is apt for Crickhowell House and all that it promises for the future of Wales. On 26 May, 60 politicians will for the first time take their seats in the building, which is home to the new National Assembly for Wales.
Unlike its Scottish equivalent, the devolved Cardiff government will not have crucial tax-raising powers or the ability to make primary legislation (the equivalent of Acts of Parliament). But it will be able to affect secondary legislation by expanding on Acts of Parliament; it will have control over the £8b Welsh budget; and it will make appointments to public bodies and exercise powers related to land, property and transport. And when it comes to issues affecting tourism, the Assembly also seems likely to play a crucial role.
All four major parties in Wales say they see development of the tourism industry as a priority for the country's future. All want more partnership across Wales and all want a more cohesive marketing image for the principality. Additionally, all have their eyes fixed firmly on the prospect of receiving several billions of pounds in grant aid from the European Union via Objective One.
Objective One cash is available to all EU regions where gross domestic product per head has fallen below 75% of the EU average. It then allows for a grant of 75% of the cost for projects that are likely to boost the local economy and provide jobs.
West Wales, the Valleys and part of the North Wales coast now qualify for Objective One, with estimates of available cash running at £2b each year over six years. A large slice of this will be spent on tourism projects.
The most likely ruling party in Wales after 6 May is Labour. In that case, current secretary of state for Wales, Alun Michael, will be leader of the Assembly and his colleagues will oversee policy implementation.
As Caterer went to press, Labour was still writing its manifesto and working on its official tourism strategy. But the party has already made clear it recognises tourism's potential social and economic benefits to the Welsh economy and that it views it as a major source of wealth generation. It stresses that its tourism strategy will aim to boost partnership and co-operation across the industry in order to promote a dynamic and attractive image for Wales.
Labour is also open about the fact that Objective One grant aid will be used to kick-start its tourism strategy.
Labour party spokeswoman for the Vale of Clwyd, Ann Jones, says: "Once we are able to tap into all this money, the Assembly's theme will be about getting partnerships going. That means between Assembly, the Wales Tourist Board (WTB), local authorities and the private sector. The problem is that now nobody works together. Everyone treads their own path, doing the same things, and so are constantly reinventing the wheel each time."
Jones adds that she believes there should be emphasis on developing quality, affordable accommodation in areas such as the North Wales seaside towns.
"The difficulty with a town like Rhyl, for example, is that people view it as a giant caravan park and as a day-trip option for young people. I hope that the Assembly will give out funds to local authorities to develop and market towns like Rhyl in a different way," she says.
"For instance, it could be promoted as a stopping-off point for visits to the Vale of Clwyd. The process is about fitting together many parts of a jigsaw."
Of Objective One funds, she says: "The nature of Objective One means that you could build a chain of four hotels for the price of one. The grant aid's criteria of creating employment and economic regeneration are totally in line with our policy. We see the grant aid as a facilitator to allow us to pull everyone together so that we end duplication of effort. It's our chance to get it right and regenerate the economy."
Jones concedes that the marketing of Wales needs to be reassessed and awaits the WTB's draft strategy. But she says: "We need to show people in England and even in Wales how beautiful this country is. When you ask many English people what they know about Wales, they mention Cardiff and dirty rugby songs."
So how will people in Wales notice the difference when their own assembly is sitting? "They'll see that, for the first time ever, 60 people who are from their communities are having an effect on their lives. There won't be any sudden, radical shake-ups but one big difference is that the Assembly will consult closely with small businesses in Wales. Under the current set-up, that kind of consultation doesn't happen," she says.
Galvanising Tourism in Wales is a booklet produced by the Liberal Democrats in Wales. The only party in Wales to have so far produced such a document on tourism, its proposals include setting a target for tourism to represent 10% of Wales's GDP by 2004, up from 7% now.
The booklet talks about the WTB acting as the industry's leader and strategic director. It wants to create a new organisational structure for tourism and focuses on building this from grass-roots level and embracing the industry's myriad small businesses.
It wants an annually elected WTB chairman and it wants to establish a computerised system to provide both the Assembly and the trade with a flow of up-to-date, credible and reliable statistics on the industry. It also calls for a free-standing Wales International Convention Bureau.
Liberal Democrat spokeswoman Alison Willott says: "We need to create a much more coherent industry. Too many people have been doing their own thing for too long. We'd really like to get the WTB and the Welsh Development Agency working more closely together."
Plaid Cymru - the Party of Wales - had not yet finalised its policy document on tourism as Caterer went to press, but spokeswoman Fflur Jones says it will stress elements such as environmental sustainability and community democracy.
"We want tourism to come under a national strategic umbrella that will involve more co-ordination between the WTB and the Welsh Development Agency. Up to now, there has been too much duplication," she says.
"We want more private-sector as well as community-based participation. That means more people taking part in local government. Objective One money will provide vital funds and we'll be pressing for any funds available. Our main campaign line on tourism will be our commitment to promote Wales in Europe."
Although totally wiped from the Welsh political map in the 1997 General Election, the Welsh Conservative Party is now hoping to gain at least 13 seats in the new Welsh Assembly.
Nick Bourne, prospective Conservative candidate for Brecon and Radnorshire, says of the party's tourism objectives: "There must be a fundamental review of the country's tourism strategy and I look forward to seeing the WTB's strategy document when it comes out in September.
"Until now, there has been a lack of an all-Wales approach. Now I think there is a degree of agreement among the parties that this must change.
"I think that tourism must be included under the industrial, economic and social development portfolio rather than under arts, culture and sport. That will give it the clout it needs," adds Bourne.
"But most importantly, we need tourism professionals to market Wales and pull together the myriad parts. We have to involve local authorities but the WTB must be in the driving seat. We also must begin to promote modern Wales to the outside world. Too many people still have an image of Wales as it was in the 1950s and 1960s." n
See next week's Caterer for developments at the Wales Tourist Board
