Following concerns from a number of North Wales businesses that the Welsh Government’s proposed ‘tourism tax’ could devastate them, Wales Tourism Alliance have now released a report showing that they too are worried about the damaging impact a tourism tax would have on Wales.

Since Labour announced their plans to introduce a tax on tourism last year, Clwyd West AM Darren Millar has met with a number of businesses in his constituency who are deeply concerned that it would have devastating implications for them.

In the report (http://www.wta.org.uk/news/tourism-tax-and-its-potential-impact-on-tourism-in-wales-report-by-professor-annette-pritchard) commissioned by the Wales Tourism Alliance, Professor Annette Pritchard warns that a tourism tax would damage the economy, devastate small businesses and deter visitors from coming to Wales.

Darren said:

“Since the Welsh Government’s ludicrous plan to introduce a tourism tax was first announced I have had numerous meetings with tourism operators in my constituency for who are greatly worried about the impact this will have on their businesses.

“Howard Farrell of Happy Days Caravan Park in Towyn told me of the damage that it could wreak on holiday park operators and visitor attractions in the area, and when I visited the Welsh Mountain Zoo in Colwyn Bay before Christmas they too expressed serious concern, claiming a tax would impact massively on visitor numbers.

“The evidence against a Tourism Tax is mounting. We should be doing all we can to attract tourists to this beautiful part of the country, not discouraging them by making their visits more expensive. The Welsh Government needs to go back to the drawing board and come up with a less destructive way of raising money.”