Support package for tourism industry

PLAID Cymru have called for a “financial kick-starter” to boost the Welsh tourism sector after the coronavirus crisis is over.

Plaid Cymru Shadow Minister for the Economy Helen Mary Jones AM said that the tourism sector would face “particular hardship” due to the Coronavirus crisis.

According to the Wales Tourism Alliance “tourism in Wales is collectively responsible for over £6.2 billion to Welsh GDP and over 172,000 jobs”.

Ms Jones said that due to the crisis businesses in the sector would lose out on income generated in spring and summer months – which is crucial to get them through winter and that a “financial kick-starter” would be needed from the Welsh Government to help the sector get back to normal.

The Shadow Minister said that support available should reflect the work done by seasonal workers.

Plaid Cymru Shadow Minister for the Economy Helen Mary Jones AM said: “The tourism sector in Wales is responsible for £6.2bn to the Welsh GDP and over 172,000 however it is a sector that will face particular hardship due to the Coronavirus crisis.

“The spring and summer months are of crucial importance to the sector as the business generated in those months can provide enough income to get them through the winter months. However, given the current circumstances, they will lose out on that income.

“Even if we see a return to normality by the summer they fear they wouldn’t have enough to survive the winter.

“Once the lockdown has ended, the tourism sector will urgently need a support package - a financial kick-starter if you will, from the Welsh Government, in order to get it back to normality.

“I know Welsh Government are aware that tourism will need medium term support, but businesses need to know now what that support will look like so they can plan.

“Furthermore, under the current proposal from the UK Government, the sector will be unable to furlough seasonal workers.

“The Job Retention Scheme must be made more flexible to account for sectors that require physical maintenance of property.“

There were 8.5m overnight domestic GB trips to Wales in the first nine months of 2019, which was an increase of 4.8%, generating expenditure of £1,660m.

A WOMAN said she was left with post-traumatic stress disorder and had to abandon her studies after being raped in Cardiff.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has criticised the police and a Welsh university for the way they handled her case, believing they failed to take her seriously.

“I feel I have never got any closure after what happened,” the woman said.

The former student was on a year abroad when she moved to South Wales to study in September 2018.

“Although I struggled a lot with the idea of being so far away from my family and friends, I didn’t let that stop me, because I love travelling and adventure. I thought the experience would help me to become more independent,” she said.

The alleged incident happened in March 2019 at a house in Cathays.

She said she headed home after a night out, but realised she had forgotten her keys.

She said she asked a friend if she could stay at his home until she could get into her own flat.

“Shortly after dozing off, I began to feel his hands on my body,” she recalled.

“I pushed him away and tried to make it clear I did not want any physical contact. I said repeatedly I just wanted to go to sleep.”

She said he climbed on top of her, undid her top and sexually assaulted her.

“I was paralysed with fear at this point,” she said. “I remember saying multiple times: ‘What are you doing? Why are you doing this?’ He proceeded to take off my jeans.”

She said he sexually assaulted her again – and then raped her.

“I was paralysed,” she said. “I was clearly shaking and saying nothing, until I said: ‘What are you doing to me?’ For the fourth or fifth time.

“Eventually he stopped, rolled over to face the wall and said nothing to me.”

The student said she contacted her flatmate, told them “something bad” had happened and she needed to meet them.

She said she ignored his phone calls and blocked his number and social media accounts.

She met up with her flatmate and told them everything.

“Immediately after the incident, I mostly felt empty and helpless. Being away from your family makes the situation even more difficult,” she said.

“I didn’t really know how to get help. You hear about these things happening, but you never think about what you would do if it were to happen to you.

“At first, I did not intend to report the incident to the police as I felt it would ruin his life.

“Also I was in such a fragile state, I thought it would be too much for me.”

The student went to A&E and was sent to the Sexual Assault Referral Centre. The woman described the forensic examination as “extremely invasive and scary”.

After spending six weeks at home, she came back to South Wales. She went into the city centre with a friend and saw the man whom she said raped her.

“I felt fear for myself and all the other women around me,” she said. “That is when I decided I had to report this.”

She reported the matter to the university and was given a support appointment the following day.

The woman then went back to the Sexual Assault Referral Centre – which was holding her initial report and DNA evidence – and said she wanted to go to the police.

She said the case was taken to South Wales Police, but she believes it was “mishandled” and she felt blamed for the attack.

The student said she was advised at the referral centre she would have to have two interviews – one with a local police officer, and one with a detective.

She said she was told they would not take place on the same day as that would be “too much”, but they actually happened within an hour of each other.

The woman said she felt “incredibly rushed” and expressed a preference to provide a written account rather than having a formal spoken interview.

“It was incredibly hard for me to speak about this incident,” she said. “Due to some cultural and language barriers, I felt this would be the best option.”

She said she was persuaded to have a recorded spoken interview, but feels she would have been able to express herself more clearly in writing.

She claimed the way police handled her case was “unprofessional”.

She said her case was closed in less than 24 hours and not passed to the Crown Prosecution Service.

The woman said the detective called her and went to her home to tell her there was not enough evidence to prove her case to a jury at court.

She said she was told the alleged perpetrator could not have known she did not consent because she did not use the word “no”.

The student said the detective pointed out she went to the man’s house and told her she was not “drunk enough” to be unable to know what was happening.

“This is a complete case of victim blaming, making me feel as if I had done something wrong by reporting,” she said. “I was shamed for what I did that night, even though I was a victim of a crime.”