Keeping Wales a safe destination, communicating with businesses and encouraging Irish tourists to stick around in Pembrokeshire were just some of the issues the Welsh deputy tourism minister, Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas, discussed with the Western Telegraph today (Wednesday, September 2).

"I've been very impressed with the results of the businesses since the middle of July when people have been able to open,” Lord Elis-Thomas said.

"The response I'm getting is that the numbers turning up and the level of tourism take-up is better than it was last year. That’s very unexpected but I think but it shows people want to come."

Addressing issues raised by Ben Francis of the Federation of Small Businesses, who said last week that the average Welsh tourism business has lost half of its annual income, Lord Elis-Thomas said the numbers didn’t match what he was hearing but acknowledged that tourists businesses were hit for the months of lockdown.

He added: "The tourism barometres that I've seen seem to indicate that for the weeks of proper activity when the lockdown was raised the return has been better than it was last year."

Lord Elis-Thomas said that if business owners felt they haven't benefitted from schemes put in place by the Welsh and UK Governments they should contact them and Visit Wales so that people can ensure their applications, for things like bounce back loans, have been fully considered.

He also encouraged business to keep talking to officials even if they've been unsuccessful in first rounds of funding help.

Lord Elis-Thomas said he believed this year’s tourist season could last longer than normal as the "staycation is here to stay".

"It has been growing as a market for the last ten years, usually as a second or third annual leave holiday for people.

"I think more people will make those choices and this will benefit west Wales and mid-Wales in particular."

He added: "I do hear the complaints from some people that there are too many visitors but I think that what will happen this year is that people will continue to come beyond September and October and we are looking forward in Visit Wales to be able to do more marketing - to extend the season as long as we can."

Lord Elis-Thomas stressed that the Welsh government was trying to ensure that people feel safe when they visit.

"I think that is the crucial thing - it's marketing Wales as the safe place to be and that's why maintaining public health standards and ensuring that we control and reduce the impact of the coronavirus is central to the whole thing.

“And it's not a case of having an argument between the economy and public health. Public health is the guarantee that the tourist economy can be further extended."

However, he said he does not consider the messaging used by the Welsh Government to be cautious, instead, it was ‘public health safety’ which would continue to be important as schools return.

Asked if the WG had considered reducing the two-metre rule, which could allow smaller businesses to open, he said the rule remains "more effective in controlling any situation in which the virus would be spread."

"The emphasis is on mitigation," he said.

"You will notice that, with the exception of public transport, the emphasis in Wales has been on strongly urging people to wear the face-covering rather than insisting that they do.

“And that links in again with people being comfortable and people being good citizens."

With furlough due to come to an end in October, Lord Elis-Thomas was asked if this could lead to a large number of people in the tourism sector losing their jobs and being forced onto Universal Credit.

Lord Elis-Thomas said there was help available, pointing to the 'cultural contract', which will see the Welsh government invest over £50m to help business and individuals in culture sector jobs, like theatres, galleries, and music venues.

He said similar funding is available in tourism, and that anyone in Pembrokeshire who is concerned about the end of furlough should contact the local offices of the Welsh Government.

Asked if Wales had done enough to market itself as a destination of choice for Irish tourists, the deputy minister said he greatly admired the Irish tourism industry and wanted to emulate some of their success.

He added: “And whenever we have the opportunity to work together, I think emphasising the Celtic connection is something that makes sense, especially in the counties close to ferry ports, like Pembrokeshire.

"The more that we emphasise that, when Irish tourists are able to come in greater numbers into Wales, [they won’t] just drive through, they actually have a staycation in Wales."

Addressing the concerns raised by tourism business leaders that there had not been clear enough guidance on the road map out of lockdown, the minister said the Welsh Government was in communication with businesses across the country.

"I'm very keen that the guidance, and the road map, is something that is jointly developed between government and business and that is the general position of the government.

"What we do is we try to meet and discuss and we discuss the next steps and it’s been very influential on government."