The international cultural profile of Wales and its attraction as a cultural tourism destination is set to be developed through two major new initiatives. An International Draft Strategy from Wales Arts International (WAI) outlines a series of aims to increase the international impact and recognition for Welsh arts. WAI, which is a strategic partnership between Arts Council Wales (ACW) and the British Council, seeks to maximise international opportunities for Welsh artists and arts organisations, with an emphasis on developing international networks. The organisation is now looking to increase investment in its activities fourfold, establishing a European cultural desk to help artists to access funds and supporting the raising of private funding by “providing match funding to successful applications” from “foundations and businesses with affinity to the arts in Wales”. It will also develop a new international investment fund to act as “leverage for new sources of international funding”. The British Council will support this activity by creating a new senior post to work directly with WAI. A period of feedback and consultation on the Draft Strategy extends until 4 July.
A review of Wales’ Cultural Tourism Strategy, published in 2000, has resulted in the creation of a steering group “to drive the agenda of cultural tourism” by producing an action plan and exploring associated costs. The review recommends that “culture should be incorporated as a mainstream activity in all aspects of tourism development and marketing in Wales” and acknowledges the importance of maximising the impact of Wales’ relatively few “cultural icons”. Heritage Minister, Rhodri Glyn Thomas, said that “no visitor to Wales should leave without having had the opportunity to enjoy a high quality experience that is genuinely Welsh in its content, spirit and sense of place”. Recent funding for cultural infrastructure has come from the Millennium Commission, the National Lottery and European Development Funds. The Welsh Assembly Government has invested £6.8m in cultural tourism projects over the past three years, creating 465 jobs.