Welsh Journals

SIR: For several years I have watched with some misgiving the work of the Welsh Tourist and Holidays Board, and their constant demands for an increased revenue. It is possible even with slender resources to make the best use of every available opportunity but the Board appears to be too pre-occupied with its own unwieldy committees and its lack of finance. The Chair- man Dr Huw T Edwards in the recently published Annual Report called for a wholesale re-appraisal of the financial position of the Board. May I go still further and ask as a Ratepayer whether we are justified in supporting the Board and its present constitution? There is certainly a need for some clear thinking. Independent Many people consider the Welsh Tourist Board to be a semi-govern- ment organization. It is in fact an independent body and such matters as representation on its Executive Committee and constitutional rights are covered by the Board's Memor- andum and Articles of Association. The Executive Committee appears to consist of over fifty members, (mostly local authority representa- Correspondence THE WELSH TOURIST INDUSTRY tives) yet only four of these mem- bers represent the Hoteliers and Caterers. Hotels, restaurants, and commercial concerns are asked to subscribe but have no right of vote or invitation to the Annual Meet- ings. The small amount contributed to the Board by this branch of the Industry is perhaps indicative of the general opinion of the work of the Board. The Board in their recently published Annual Report state' that it was able to fully maintain its hotel and commercial member- ship'. Yet a comparison with the amount subscribed by this section in the year ending 31st March, 1955, shows £ 586 2s od, as compared with £ 492 nsod, for 1959. Total Income There are other disturbing figures. The Board's total income was only £ 11,760 19s iod. Their travelling expenses alone amount to over £ 1,000, yet only £ 955 9s iod was spent on Press and other forms of Advertisement. The responsibility for advertising Wales overseas rests with the British Travel and Holidays Association who are largely responsible for the increase in the Overseas visitors to Wales.