English: Can I begin by thanking Hefin David for bringing this important debate to the Senedd today? And I know a number of Members have used it to highlight wonderful tourism destinations in their constituencies and regions; you'll be pleased to know I won't be doing that. I will not even mention Aberavon seafront in an attempt to curry favour with the Dirprwy Lywydd in my region. [ Laughter. ] Wouldn't dream of it. In particular, the tourism and hospitality industry has been one of the worst hit since the pandemic struck, and I'd like to welcome the unprecedented levels of support given to the industry by both Welsh and UK Governments. Tourism and hospitality are arguably the sectors of our economy that have suffered the most over the last 18 months or so, having either severe differences or adaptations placed upon the sector, or being forced to closed entirely. The mere fact that some of them are still standing and operating today is testament to the resilience of those small business owners, their staff and the sector as a whole, and, as has already been discussed, we know how important the hospitality sector is to the Welsh economy. Pre pandemic, the sector employed, either directly or indirectly, some 174,000 people, and added around £3.6 billion to Wales's GVA. This makes hospitality one of the largest employers in Wales, accounting for around 10 per cent of the national workforce. We also know that this is a sector that has disproportionately benefited from the UK Government's furlough scheme. But the most recent Wales tourism barometer highlighted the welcome news that some 69 per cent of operators are in some way confident they can run their business profitably for the remainder of the year, but that confidence isn't consistent across the sector. So, despite the economy starting to reopen, some businesses are still struggling as a consequence of continued restrictions. For example, the majority - 62 per cent - of businesses in the tourism sector are operating at less than full capacity, had fewer visitors than normal, and whilst about 40 per cent of businesses that had taken advance bookings into 2021 have more than normal at this point of the year, this promise is not shared amongst all sectors. So, amongst serviced accommodation, only 60 per cent of available capacity has been booked, compared to 90 per cent in the self-catering sector. So, this summer, above all summers, should be the summer of the staycation in the UK and across Wales, and, while I share Hefin David's optimism for the sector in 2021, it's a summer of opportunity and challenges for the sector, because there are sectors still struggling with visitor numbers. Pubs and cafes operated with 63 per cent fewer visitors than usual during the May half term, and activity providers operated at 82 per cent fewer visitors than usual. The pandemic has further emphasised the reliance on tourism and the hospitality sector as well as other small businesses to support jobs and local economies in Welsh communities. However, many of these jobs continue to be at risk, despite the economy beginning to reopen. Research undertaken by the Learning and Work Institute found that nearly one in five jobs in Wales are in shut-down sectors, most often travel, tourism, hospitality and non-essential retail, which are the ones that have been most impacted by the COVID-19 restrictions. According to the Development Bank of Wales, around 21 per cent of Welsh SMEs had temporarily closed or paused trading during the pandemic, with most of these, again, being in leisure and hospitality, whilst a third of SMEs had either no cash reserves, or cash flow remaining for just three months. So, with all this in mind, the question remains: what can we do to support the sector that is both, as we know, so vital to the Welsh economy, but has also faced significant disruption at the same time? Whilst grants and Government support packages by both Governments have been very, very welcome, most businesses in this area I've spoken to don't want to rely on these grants forever. So, one of the things the Welsh Government could consider in its next review is to look at if it's within the leverage available to them to look at lowering the 2m social distancing requirement to the 1m plus rule, as is already the case in England and Scotland. This would likely go further than any financial measures offered to businesses and allow them to be able to operate safely, but also as close to normal as possible. Because, as our vaccination drive in Wales and across the UK continues, we need to ask ourselves, 'Well, if not now, when?' A small change like this would make a huge difference to a sector that has struggled over the past 18 months. While I'm aware that there are other industries that have been affected by the COVID pandemic, it's often tourism and hospitality that are the ones that have seen the most severe impacts, and I hope that there's a key recovery plan to help the industry thrive, not only this summer, but in 2022 and beyond.
Welsh: A gaf fi ddechrau drwy ddiolch i Hefin David am ddod â'r ddadl bwysig hon i'r Senedd heddiw? A gwn fod nifer o Aelodau wedi'i defnyddio i dynnu sylw at gyrchfannau twristiaeth gwych yn eu hetholaethau a'u rhanbarthau; fe fyddwch yn falch o wybod na fyddaf yn gwneud hynny. Nid wyf am sôn am lan y môr Aberafan mewn ymgais i ennill ffafriaeth y Dirprwy Lywydd yn fy rhanbarth. [ Chwerthin. ] Ni fyddwn yn breuddwydio gwneud hynny. Y diwydiant twristiaeth a lletygarwch yn benodol yw un o'r sectorau sydd wedi dioddef waethaf ers i'r pandemig daro, a hoffwn groesawu'r lefelau digynsail o gefnogaeth a roddwyd i'r diwydiant gan Lywodraeth Cymru a Llywodraeth y DU. Gellid dadlau mai twristiaeth a lletygarwch yw'r sectorau yn ein heconomi sydd wedi dioddef fwyaf dros y 18 mis diwethaf, drwy wahaniaethau difrifol neu'r addasiadau a osodwyd ar y sector, neu drwy gael eu gorfodi i gau'n gyfan gwbl. Mae'r ffaith bod rhai ohonynt yn dal i sefyll a gweithredu heddiw yn dyst i wydnwch y perchnogion busnesau bach hynny, eu staff a'r sector cyfan, ac fel y trafodwyd eisoes, gwyddom pa mor bwysig yw'r sector lletygarwch i economi Cymru. Cyn y pandemig, cyflogai'r sector oddeutu 174,000 o bobl, naill ai'n uniongyrchol neu'n anuniongyrchol, ac ychwanegai oddeutu £3.6 biliwn at werth ychwanegol gros Cymru. Mae hyn yn gwneud lletygarwch yn un o'r cyflogwyr mwyaf yng Nghymru, gydag oddeutu 10 y cant o'r gweithlu cenedlaethol. Gwyddom hefyd fod hwn yn sector sydd wedi elwa'n anghymesur o gynllun ffyrlo Llywodraeth y DU. Ond tynnodd baromedr twristiaeth diweddaraf Cymru sylw at y newyddion calonogol fod tua 69 y cant o weithredwyr mewn rhyw ffordd yn hyderus y gallant redeg eu busnes yn broffidiol am weddill y flwyddyn, ond nid yw'r hyder hwnnw'n gyson ar draws y sector. Felly, er bod yr economi'n dechrau ailagor, mae rhai busnesau'n dal i gael trafferth o ganlyniad i gyfyngiadau parhaus. Er enghraifft, mae'r mwyafrif - 62 y cant - o fusnesau yn y sector twristiaeth yn gweithredu ar lai na chapasiti llawn, maent wedi cael llai o ymwelwyr nag arfer, ac er bod gan oddeutu 40 y cant o'r busnesau a oedd wedi derbyn archebion ymlaen llaw i mewn i 2021 fwy na'r arfer ar yr adeg hon o'r flwyddyn, nid yw'r addewid hwnnw wedi ei rannu ym mhob sector. Felly, yn y sector llety â gwasanaeth, dim ond 60 y cant o'r capasiti sydd ar gael sydd wedi'i archebu, o'i gymharu â 90 y cant yn y sector hunanarlwyo. Felly, yn fwy nag unrhyw haf arall, yr haf hwn a ddylai fod yn haf i fynd ar wyliau yn y DU ac yng Nghymru, ac er fy mod yn rhannu optimistiaeth Hefin David ar gyfer y sector yn 2021, mae'n haf o gyfle a heriau i'r sector, oherwydd mae yna sectorau sy'n dal i gael trafferth gyda niferoedd ymwelwyr. Roedd tafarndai a chaffis yn gweithredu gyda 63 y cant yn llai o ymwelwyr nag arfer yn ystod hanner tymor mis Mai, ac roedd darparwyr gweithgareddau yn gweithredu ar 82 y cant yn llai o ymwelwyr nag arfer. Mae'r pandemig wedi pwysleisio ymhellach y ddibyniaeth ar dwristiaeth a'r sector lletygarwch yn ogystal â busnesau bach eraill i gefnogi swyddi ac economïau lleol yng nghymunedau Cymru. Fodd bynnag, mae llawer o'r swyddi hyn yn parhau i fod mewn perygl, er bod yr economi'n dechrau ailagor. Canfu ymchwil a wnaed gan y Sefydliad Dysgu a Gwaith fod bron i un o bob pum swydd yng Nghymru mewn sectorau a gaewyd, sef, yn fwyaf aml, teithio, twristiaeth, lletygarwch a manwerthu nad yw'n hanfodol, sef y rhai y mae cyfyngiadau COVID-19 wedi effeithio fwyaf arnynt. Yn ôl Banc Datblygu Cymru, roedd tua 21 y cant o BBaChau yng Nghymru wedi cau neu oedi masnachu dros dro yn ystod y pandemig, gyda'r rhan fwyaf o'r rhain, unwaith eto, yn y sector hamdden a lletygarwch, ac nid oedd gan draean o BBaChau unrhyw gronfeydd arian wrth gefn, neu lif arian ar ôl ar gyfer mwy na thri mis. Felly, gyda hyn i gyd mewn golwg, erys y cwestiwn: beth y gallwn ei wneud i gefnogi'r sector sydd mor hanfodol i economi Cymru fel y gwyddom, ond sydd hefyd wedi wynebu aflonyddwch sylweddol ar yr un pryd? Er bod grantiau a phecynnau cymorth y Llywodraeth gan y ddwy Lywodraeth wedi cael croeso mawr iawn, nid yw'r rhan fwyaf o fusnesau yn y maes hwn rwyf wedi siarad â hwy eisiau dibynnu ar y grantiau hyn am byth. Felly, un o'r pethau y gallai Llywodraeth Cymru ei ystyried yn ei hadolygiad nesaf yw gweld a oes lle ganddynt i allu edrych ar ostwng y gofyniad i gadw pellter cymdeithasol o 2m i'r rheol 1m a mwy, fel sy'n digwydd eisoes yn Lloegr a'r Alban. Mae'n debyg y byddai hyn yn mynd ymhellach nag unrhyw fesurau ariannol a gynigir i fusnesau ac yn caniatáu iddynt allu gweithredu'n ddiogel, ond hefyd mor agos at normalrwydd â phosibl. Oherwydd, wrth i'n hymgyrch frechu yng Nghymru a ledled y DU barhau, mae angen inni ofyn i ni'n hunain, 'Wel, os nad nawr, pryd?' Byddai newid bach fel hyn yn gwneud gwahaniaeth enfawr i sector sydd wedi cael trafferth dros y 18 mis diwethaf. Er fy mod yn ymwybodol fod diwydiannau eraill wedi'u heffeithio gan y pandemig COVID, twristiaeth a lletygarwch yn aml yw'r rhai sydd wedi gweld yr effeithiau mwyaf difrifol, ac rwy'n gobeithio bod cynllun adfer allweddol ar gael i helpu'r diwydiant i ffynnu, nid yn unig yr haf hwn, ond yn 2022 a thu hwnt.