A NORTH Wales tourism chief has demanded the Welsh Government gives a reopening date for the industry.

This follows the announcement of the partial lifting of the lockdown by the First Minister, Mark Drakeford.

Jim Jones, the chief executive of North Wales Tourism, said: “Naturally we welcome the announcement today, it shows little green shoots of progress going in the right direction. Pleasing to see the success of vaccine rollout and reduction in COVID cases across Wales.

“However, for our sector it doesn’t go far enough, there is very little commitment by the Welsh Government post April 12.

“This isn't helpful, as businesses need to recruit staff, train them, secure supplies.

“Not providing dates to work off, shows a complete lack of business acumen and understanding by the Welsh Government.

“We demand to know now, when we can reopen, so that we can viably trade, build resilience and have a recovery plan that allows us to catch up.

“More targeted financial support is still needed for the sector as many not eligible to apply for one reason or the other and it’s just not right.

“We have received so much correspondence, last week from businesses that don't employ more than 10 staff, that weren't eligible for the latest round of grants, this simply isn't good enough as we know the UK Government have given adequate support.”