Welsh Conservatives today pledged to enrich the heritage of Wales by prioritising culture, sport and tourism.
Shadow Minister for Heritage Mohammad Asghar AM, Shadow Minister for the Welsh Language Paul Davies AM, and Leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the Assembly Nick Bourne AM, have launched the party's key heritage policies.
Welsh Conservatives would:
- Campaign for St David's Day to be a bank holiday in Wales
- Bid for Wales to host the Commonwealth Games and a UEFA Champions League Final
- Establish a Welsh National Archive by transferring records from London to Wales
- Introduce a Welsh Charter Mark for businesses to recognise high quality Welsh-medium services
- Brand Wales as a world-class destination for culture, tourism and business
Mohammad Asghar AM said: "These policies are aimed at placing a lot more importance upon Welsh heritage and culture, and at developing our sporting status and tourism industry.
"We believe St David's Day should become a Bank Holiday in Wales, giving more people the opportunity to celebrate this rich heritage and culture with family and friends. Welsh Conservatives would campaign for this to be implemented at the earliest opportunity.
"Bids for both the UEFA Champions League final and the Commonwealth Games would also be prioritised under a Conservative Assembly government.
"The former remains one of the biggest sporting events in the world and recent figures suggest tens of millions of pounds have been made by previous host cities. We want to see a bid put forward that would bring the event to Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.
"Similarly, the Commonwealth Games would also have a tremendous impact on the Welsh economy, while stimulating sports participation and giving Wales the opportunity to develop key links with other Commonwealth nations.
"A National Public Records Office for Wales would also have symbolic importance. By transferring records from London, we can provide a significant boost to cultural tourism and give people in Wales access to a designated catalogue of Welsh-related records and historical archives.
Shadow Minister for Education and the Welsh Language, Paul Davies AM, said: "The introduction of a Welsh Charter Mark - for businesses to recognise high-quality Welsh-medium services - would be a huge boost to use of the language.
"We believe this would allow customers easy comparison in standards of Welsh language service, while giving them the confidence and knowledge necessary to access services.
"For companies, there would be increased recognition of the work they are doing in using and promoting the Welsh language within the workplace."
Leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the Assembly, Nick Bourne AM, said: "Wales has a rich heritage which isn't getting the attention and promotion that it deserves.
"There is much more that we can do to make the most of everything that our country has to offer. These policies, along with branding Wales as a world-class destination for culture, tourism and business, go a long way to putting that right."
