5. What is the Welsh Government doing to promote food tourism across Wales? OAQ(5)0104(ERA)

Thank you. The food tourism action plan, launched in April 2015, identifies initiatives and promotional activity to develop Welsh tourism. It includes steps to develop food tourism as a sector and selling point for Wales, with Welsh food promoted at major events, activities and attractions.

I’m pleased to hear, of course, that the Welsh Government has made it clear that food is an essential part of the tourism offer in Wales. I recently had the pleasure of visiting Dr Beynon’s Bug Farm in my Constituency, which isn’t just a working farm, but it’s also the UK’s first full-time edible insect restaurant, known as Grub Kitchen, and I would encourage you to visit because I’m sure, like me, you’d find it fascinating. Given that the Welsh Government has made it clear that food is an essential part of the tourism offer, can you therefore tell us what the Welsh Government is doing to support smaller, more unique food tourism businesses like the bug farm, and what is the Government doing to encourage more and more people to visit these sorts of attractions in the future?

You’re right; I did mention that food and tourism are priority sectors, and if we put the two together, we can see that food is absolutely an essential part of the tourism offer here in Wales. It provides, I think, a common point of contact. People come to Wales for the wonderful scenery; they also come for our wonderful food and drink. So, we’ve got the food tourism action plan. That focuses on the importance of Welsh food and drink in terms of the visitor experience, and I’d be very happy to visit the Grub Kitchen if the Member would like to invite me.

Cabinet Secretary, in my party’s Assembly manifesto, we called for 2018 to be designated as a national year of Welsh food and drink. [Interruption.] I’m still in the party. Easy, please. 2017 is the Year of Legends, so does your Government support my party’s call for a national food and drink year next year?

I’m not sure if the Member was in the Chamber, but in an answer just a couple of answers ago, I mentioned it’s the Year of the Sea next year, but we can certainly have a look—

Oh, right. The year after? [Laughter.]

I’m unsure; that obviously falls within the Cabinet Secretary for the Economy and Infrastructure’s department. I really don’t know what 2019 is, but I can certainly have a look.