The Party of Wales Arfon Standing up for the people of Arfon

Siân Gwenllian, Member of the Senedd for Arfon has called on the First Minister Mark Drakeford to make the tourism sector more 'sustainable'.

Siân Gwenllian MS, who is also a Plaid Cymru Shadow Minister, said during a plenary meeting of the Senedd yesterday that the tourism sector needs to be made more sustainable to secure the industry’s future.

The Member of the Senedd for Arfon said;

“We have welcomed far more visitors than usual to tourist hotspots in my constituency this year. They have brought an ‘Indian Summer boost’ to the local economy, but the experience hasn’t always been enjoyable, neither for the visitors nor the local population.”

According to the local Member of the Senedd, problems that arise include parking problems, traffic problems, long queues, and litter problems.

The MS told the First Minister that;

“all of these issue have a negative impact on the visitor experience, and of course creates great frustration for the local population.”

Siân Gwenllian has raised the issue in the Senedd amidst reports of chaos in her own constituency following what the politician calls ‘excessive tourism.’"

She challenged the First Minister, asking;

“Do you agree that we need to find ways to control excessive tourism, and that the Government has an important role to play, by bringing all relevant parties together to forward plan for a successful season next year?"

The First Minister said he agreed with the findings of Siân Gwenllian MS, reiterating her belief of the importance of tourism to the north Wales area.

Siân Gwenllian MS added;

“The summer has clearly shown that tensions can rise between communities and visitors.

For the future of the sector we need to find the right balance so that the experience for the local community and the visitor is as good as it can be.”