I was very pleased to see the Welsh Government announce recently that a new £17.4m project to help the Welsh tourism industry benefit from the latest digital technology developments in areas such as on-line marketing, booking systems and business management is to be introduced. Plaid’s Heritage Minister Alun Ffred Jones said the aim was to help keep Welsh tourism businesses competitive. The funding is being drawn from the European Regional Development Fund, the Welsh Assembly Government and the private sector.

There is no doubt that this is a major investmentfor the tourism industry. Increasingly many people are going online to research, plan and book their holidays so we need to ensure tourism businesses in Pembrokeshire are competitive in this area. It's vital for the tourism industry to embrace digital technology and online marketing to enable them to compete in the market. Hopefully the digital tourism project will help more businesses in the county exploit the latest technology and make the most of online opportunities.

These projects will ensure the tourism industry in Wales can get the maximum benefits from advances in technology to keep them competitive. But this is not just about online marketing. It will also be about making the most of technology to run businesses more efficiently and ensure the industry is in a strong position to capitalise on new digital opportunities as they emerge.