Plaid MEP Jill Evans has launched a campaign for Wales to join a Europe-wide scheme to boost tourism.
Ms Evans is to meet Welsh Heritage Minister Alun Ffred to lobby that Wales be allowed to join the European Destinations of Excellence (EDEN) tourism programme.
At present only member states of the EU can join the scheme and the UK Government has chosen not to. Ms Evans wants Wales to be allowed to join up in its own right.
The scheme encourages sustainable tourism in lesser-known areas by holding national competitions in participating countries. Winning destinations are then promoted around the EU and join the Eden network, receiving help to become established tourist destinations.
The idea for the campaign came from a meeting with the Caerphilly Tourism Association organised by councillor Ron Davies, who is Plaid Cymru’s Assembly candidate for Caerphilly.
Ms Evans said: “Tourism is worth billions to the Welsh economy and we need to maximise Wales’ status with tourists. Wales has some beautiful and interesting destinations for tourists and, through EDEN, people across Europe would know more about them.
“Why should the UK Government stop us taking part when the European Commission would welcome us with open arms? Locations in Wales could join a Europe-wide network of that would help put on the map.”
Plaid Assembly candidate Ron Davies said: “In the past Wales would have been held back by decisions made in London. With many decisions now being made in Cardiff, instead of being held back we are able to push Wales forward. And of course, if we succeed in winning this ‘first’ for Wales, I will be promoting Caerphilly.”
being disabled I have not had to may holidays in fact none to date, but before becoming disabled I worked on contracts all over the UK from Ireland to Scotland Wales England.
Wales has some of the best beaches I know, sadly it has some of the worse weather. Why would you want to come to Wales, well history if your a history buff then my goodness come to Wales, but if you like clean places like Llanelli my god do not bother, in one day I saw enough litter dirt and mess to keep me away. Station road if you catch a train into Llanelli turn the corner to walk to town the drug rehabilitation housing unit is a great place to see, walk down the road the young person prison defenders living section looks nice, then the boarded up shops, the rubbish the dirt the litter around the council flats.
before running anything within the area local councils need to take a long hard look at the whole of the litter problems dumping. This week i watched bin men throwing bins bags into the back of the Refuse Lorry one splits open spills all over the road, they did not pick it up but left it, it was not the fault of the people but the rush of throwing bin bags into Lorries, it was us that cleaned it up, otherwise it would have been left.
You want to make a holiday destination of Wales fine but you have to work at it.