Development of Tourism and Regulation of Visitor Accommodation (Wales) Act 2026

2 Tourism development functions of the Welsh Ministers

(1) The Welsh Ministers have the following functions in relation to promoting the development of tourism in Wales—

(a) encouraging people to visit Wales,

(b) encouraging people living in Wales to visit other places in Wales,

(c) providing or improving, or facilitating the provision or improvement of, tourist amenities, facilities and services in Wales, and

(d) providing or improving, or facilitating the provision or improvement of, infrastructure in Wales for use by tourists (whether or not this is also for use by local people).

(2) But in exercising those functions the Welsh Ministers must have regard to the importance of—

(a) mitigating the social and environmental impact of tourists, and

(b) maintaining and promoting use of the Welsh language.

(3) The Welsh Ministers may do anything they consider appropriate, within or outside Wales, for the purpose of discharging their functions under subsection (1), including carrying out, or facilitating, the following activities—

(a) marketing Wales as a tourist destination;

(b) providing advisory and information services about tourism in Wales;

(c) undertaking research about tourism in Wales;

(d) providing financial assistance (on such terms as the Welsh Ministers consider appropriate).

(4) In subsection (1)(c) and in section 3, “tourist amenities, facilities and services in Wales” means amenities, facilities or services for people visiting Wales and for people travelling within Wales for business or for pleasure.

(5) See also section 3 of the Development of Tourism Act 1969 (c. 51), which provides that the British Tourist Authority may prepare a scheme for the giving of financial assistance by the Welsh Ministers (as well as by the English Tourist Board and by VisitScotland) for the carrying out of projects to provide or improve tourist facilities or amenities in Great Britain.