International Representation and Promotion of Wales by UK bodies

Wales is a relatively small nation on the periphery of Europe and faces keen economic competition to attract skilled workers, tourists and inward investment, not only within the United Kingdom, but from Europe and further afield. Both the UK Government and the Welsh Government, and their associated bodies such as the British Council, Visit Britain, Visit Wales and UK Trade and Investment, have responsibility for promoting and representing Wales abroad. The UK Government spends substantial amounts of money on the promotion of the UK through bodies such as the British Council, the diplomatic service and tourism promoters such as Visit Britain, although it is unclear how much its efforts are focussed on promoting Wales and how this corresponds to Wales’s 5% share of the British population. Wales hosts the 2014 NATO summit in September. This is one of the largest international summits ever hosted in the UK and provides an opportunity to highlight what Wales has to offer to the international community. Our inquiry focuses on three main areas related to the international promotion and representation of Wales: tourism; trade and inward investment; and Welsh culture. Terms of reference: International Representation and Promotion of Wales by UK bodies