WAG must guide green tourism for a sustainable North Wales

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Eleanor Burnham <info@eburnham.org.uk>

WAG must guide green tourism for a sustainable North Wales - Burnham

March 7, 2007 2:01 PM

Eleanor Burnham AM has today challenged Enterprise minister Andrew Davies to step in and get North Wales tourism going green with support and infrastructure to help convert businesses to a sustainable future.

Ms Burnham, Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Member for North Wales, questioned the Minister on practical help the Welsh Assembly could offer businesses in some of North Wales most scenic tourist regions. Despite sustainable business policies from Visit Wales, the Welsh Assembly's official tourism body, there have been concerns within the sector that without appropriate infrastructure support green businesses are simply a pipe-dream.

Ms Burnham, member of the North Wales Regional Committee who recently debated tourism in the region, said: "There are fantastic support services out there for businesses that have caught the green bug, such as Green-Snowdonia.co.uk, that can offer advice, support and funding information to those within the tourism sector who want to become sustainable.

"However, at a recent North Wales Regional Committee, there were fears from those at the forefront of the campaign for sustainable tourism that the Welsh Assembly Government has made little progress in encouraging best practice or giving guidance to those businesses out there who want to switch.

"The obsession with targets and figures in the Labour Assembly government means that less is actually happening on the ground when it comes to tackling climate change. They have hung a figure over the heads of local authorities for issues like recycling levels and then turned their back while councils struggle to meet them.

"I would like to see the minister take action to link organisations such as Green-Snowdonia.co.uk to a wider action plan for sustainable businesses within the tourism industry. I will be writing to Andrew Davies accordingly to raise these issues facing North Wales.

"Targets and written plans are not enough alone, the Welsh Assembly must actively guide and encourage existing organisations on the matter of sustainability if we are to see a real turn around, not just in the tourism business, but in other sectors throughout Wales."

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