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What you have been meaning to do - but haven’t (Part One)
Now that we are into September, there are less excuses for not getting round to dealing with booking your place at the two showcase events being held in October - The Wales Tourism Alliance Conference and The National Tourism Awards for 2010.
Both are being held at the Vale Hotel, Golf & Spa Resort, Hensol, near Cardiff; the Awards are on Thursday evening 21 October and the WTA Conference on Friday 22 October.
The Awards evening is a black tie event starting at 7 for 7.30pm with a four course dinner followed by the awards ceremony hosted by TV presenter, Sarra Elgan. For further information and to purchase tickets, go to www.ntawales.com
The WTA Conference will commence at 9 for 9.30am and will be addressed by the Minister for Tourism, Alun Ffred Jones; to book your place and for further information, see www.tourismalliance.org.uk.
What you have been meaning to do - but haven’t (Part Two)
The same first line as above but this time it refers to responding to a number of current consultations. The WTA needs to accurately reflect your views and we therefore need to know what they are!
Details of three important issues follow; please send any comments adrian@wta.org.uk as soon as possible in order that a WTA response can be compiled prior to the relevant closing date; if you are responding direct with regards to any of these consultations, please forward a copy to Adrian.
Inquiry into Rural Tourism in Wales - Closing Date 17 September
The National Assembly Rural Development Sub-Committee is undertaking an inquiry into Rural Tourism in Wales. The aim of the Committee’s inquiry is to assess the effectiveness and impact of the various WAG strategies for rural tourism and to make recommendations to WAG and any other appropriate bodies.
A copy of the consultation letter from the Sub-Committee can be found on at: http://www.assemblywales.org/bus-home/bus-committees/bus-committees-third1/bus-committees-third-rd-home.htm
Consultation questions for the inquiry into Rural Tourism:
• Is support for rural tourism is being effectively co-ordinated by the Welsh Government?
• How could the Welsh Government improve the way it delivers support for rural tourism?
• What progress has been made on the actions contained within the various Welsh Government strategies relevant to rural tourism?
• Have these strategies been sufficiently updated in light of a number of organisational and policy changes over recent years?
• Have the organisational changes of recent years assisted in delivering the objectives of the various strategies?
• What contribution has the Cultural Tourism Strategy made to developing rural tourism?
• What is your opinion of the proposal contained within the Farming, Food and Countryside strategy for a reinvigoration of the Adfwyio type of approach to rural tourism?
Food for Wales, Food from Wales 2010:2020 - Consultation on a Food Strategy for Wales - Closing Date 28 September
This consultation seeks views on the Welsh Assembly Government’s proposed food strategy for Wales and it could have an impact on several tourism/hospitality sectors. The strategy document takes into consideration cross-cutting issues to provide the basis for an integrated approach to food policy in Wales. There are two documents -
• Document 1: Consultation Document - provides a summary of the Strategy, and includes the questions.
• Document 2: Food for Wales, food from Wales – is the proposed Food Strategy for Wales.
http://wales.gov.uk/consultations/environmentandcountryside/100706foodstrategywales/?lang=en
Furnished Holiday Lettings Consultation - Closing Date 22 October
The consultation documents on FHL were issued by the Treasury and HMRC with regards to proposed changes to the special tax rules for furnished holiday lettings.
The consultation “is on proposals to ensure the tax rules for furnished holiday lettings are fully compliant with EU law and are better targeted at businesses that are run commercially for profit rather than for personal use”.
The proposals are to:
• increase the minimum period over which a qualifying property is available to let to the public during a year from 140 to 210 days;
• increase the minimum period over which a qualifying property is actually let to the public during a year from 70 days to 105 days;
• restrict the use of loss relief from furnished holiday lettings so it can only be set against certain income from the same business.
The consultation seeks views on the impacts of these proposals. The Government will publish its response by the end of the year and intends to implement the changes in the 2011 Budget. The full document can be downloaded from: