visit wales advert 2022

The people involved in the Visit Wales advert campaign for the World Cup

Ahead of the tournament, a new Visit Wales advert was released as the Welsh Government's attempt to market Wales on the global stage.

• 09:20, 25 NOV 2022

The Welsh people involved in the Visit Wales' recent advert campaign have had their say on what it means to see Cymru take part in this year's World Cup. On Monday, Rob Page's men sealed a point thanks to a draw again the USA in their first match in the World Cup tournament in Qatar.

With the men in red set to take on Iran on Friday, November 25, there is much excitement in the air. Ahead of the tournament, a new Visit Wales advert was released as the Welsh Government's attempt to market Wales on the global stage.

The Croeso film included ordinary people across Wales. We spoke to a few individuals that took part to find out about their stories and what it meant to them to see Cymru take part in arguably one of the biggest sporting events in the world.

Read more: Gary Lineker speaks Welsh on BBC's live TV coverage of World Cup

The film starts with Sheila Hamer of Ynysybwl near Pontypridd greeting the viewers from the doorstep of her home. Sheila's husband, John, also takes part in the film. Sheila and John, who are both 82 years old, have been married for 62 years.

"We met in Llanidloes in mid-Wales, where John was from and where I was originally born," she told Wales Online. "I think we met on a Saturday night when we were both older teenagers, and then we got married in 1960.

"We have two daughters and a son, six grandchildren and one great-granddaughter. We are a close family as we all live in the south Wales area."

The couple took part in the advert campaign thanks to a family friend. When asked how it felt to know that the campaign was shown all over the world, Sheila said that it was "extremely odd". She added: "Someone told me that we had gone viral in America, I'm not sure if that's true or not.

"The first time we saw the advert, John and I were sitting by the table and drinking our tea after our evening meal. The TV was on and then I was looking at myself on the screen and I thought, good heavens! I was down at the hair salon the other day and somebody joked that they wanted my autograph."

According to Sheila, both her and John are "very proud" that Cymru have made it to the World Cup. She said: "John is a huge fan, in his younger days he used to play football. I'm not a big fan of it usually but with it on the telly all the time and now that Wales are playing, it's hard not to follow it - we are very proud that Wales has made it to the World Cup."

Get your brilliant 48-page Wales at the World Cup special - it's a must-have historical souvenir

Meanwhile, Nick Pole was seen riding his mountain bike at Bike Park Wales in Merthyr Tydfil during the film. According to Nick, it was "amazing" to take part in the campaign.

Nick, who is the marketing manager of Bike Park Wales, said: "I've been working in the bike trade since I was 15 years old. I went to university and then continued working in the trade. I really feel like I've hit the jackpot by making my hobby my work.

"I think the best part of mountain biking is that sense of freedom, it's an amazing way to clear your head especially if you've had a difficult day, and the backdrop - the beautiful Welsh setting, is just a fantastic added bonus. The main reason I'm in Wales is because of mountain biking."

Although born in London, Nick has said that he will be supporting Wales during the World Cup tournament, despite his family's disappointed. He said: "I've been living in Wales for seven odd years now. It feels like Wales is home now, there's no doubt about it.

"Taking part in this campaign, I was a bit taken aback really. It was amazing to show Wales and what it was all about, and recognising that mountain biking is a massive part of its culture. What we have here is special. I'm supporting Wales during the World Cup. My family perhaps won't be happy but they're used to it, they say that I'm Welsh now anyway."

Eight-year-old Nathaniel Darian also took part in the campaign. Nathaniel was born deaf and uses sign language to say "love Wales" during the Croeso film. The Darian family includes dad Mehdi, originally from Iran, mother Siobhan and their sons Nathaniel and three-year-old Noah.

The Darians returned to Wales from Dubai, where they were based for 10 years, and now live near the coast in Vale of Glamorgan . Siobhan contacted the film producers, Orchard, when she saw they were looking for a family who use sign language, in order to promote Wales.

Siobhan said: "Nathaniel loves Wales, he got so angry when the US scored on Monday night. Even though Mehdi is from Iran, he’s also supporting Wales in this World Cup. We love living in Wales, we really do appreciate its diverse beauty after living in such a hot and built-up country like Dubai for so long.

"I feel Wales is a good place for Nathaniel to grow and be a success as a deaf person. I really like the inclusive idea of the films. We use sign language at home as well as spoken language to communicate with Nathaniel."

The family also run a support group for children who are deaf and their families in Cardiff, and are currently setting up a sign language community-based language school, where pupils will learn about deaf identity and deaf culture. With Wales taking on Iran at the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium in Qatar at 10AM (UK time) on Friday, the Welsh Iranian family has said that they will be supporting Cymru in the World Cup.

Support Wales in the 2022 World Cup here.

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• World Cup 2022
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Visit Wales launching new autumn and winter campaign to extend tourism season

Welsh Government says they will establish a seasonal approach to campaigns to grow tourism in a way that supports 'communities, land and people'

• 00:15, 27 SEP 2021
• Updated 08:31, 27 SEP 2021

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Visit Wales will soon be launching a new autumn and winter campaign as Welsh Government says they want to grow tourism in a way that supports "communities, land and people".

The campaign aims to inspire visits for autumn, winter and into 2022 as well as establishing a new seasonal approach to campaigns.

This will present Wales as a year round destination with the goal of extending the tourism season and creating year round jobs and economic growth.

The campaign will focus on what makes Wales special during the quieter months of the year, from the stunning landscapes and the changing autumn colours to the range of unique experiences and activities on offer in the outdoors and towns and cities.

It will also target the in-Wales market as well as new visitors to Wales from across the UK and re-connecting with visitors who may have visited over the summer and inspiring them to return and experience Wales at a different time of year.

Today marks World Tourism Day, a day focused on driving global awareness of tourism’s social, cultural, political and economic value.

This year UNWTO (World Tourism Organisation) has designated it as a day to focus on Tourism for Inclusive Growth.

Economy Minister, Vaughan Gething, said: “Our ambition is to grow tourism for the good of Wales – a tourism that supports our communities and cares for our land and that is mutually beneficial to visitors and citizens.

“As a Government we are taking bold action to build a stronger, fairer, greener Welsh economy - careful balance and responsible tourism, working with local communities and destination partners will be at the core of growing tourism for the good of Wales.”

The Economy Minister added: “Many people have enjoyed parts of Wales this year they’ve never visited before. Wales is also a beautiful tourism destination in autumn and winter – and the campaign takes a fresh look at the seasons. It celebrates the memorable moments that happen because of the seasons, not despite them.”

In order to help address challenges with recruitment in the sector, the Welsh Government hospitality recruitment campaign will also continue throughout the autumn.

Andrew Hudson, commercial director, Zip World, said: "We opened our doors at Zip World Tower back in Spring and plan to keep them open all year round because we believe the adventure never stops!

"We’re proud to be part of putting Wales on the map as an all-year round adventure tourism destination and believe the industry is only going to go from strength to strength.

"Operating over the autumn and winter means we have been able to bring a number of permanent, year-round jobs to South Wales and pride ourselves on recruiting locally and becoming part of the communities we’re lucky enough to find ourselves in."

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Wales’ outstanding natural landscapes are alive with world-leading adventure and a distinctive, contemporary culture. Colourful communities offer unique places to stay, and a feast of local food and drink.

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Epic surroundings.

Discover award winning pubs, spectacular roads and plenty of space for adventure.

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© Hawlfraint y Goron / Crown Copyright

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Steelhouse: a steward's welcome

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Castle Beach, Tenby, Pembrokeshire, West Wales

Destination awards and accolades recently won by Wales

We're proud to be named in top lists of places to visit. It happens a lot too. Wales has won a number of destination awards and accolades. Here are some of the awards Wales has won in recent years.

• A position in Lonely Planet’s ‘Best in Travel 2024’ awards for ‘Best Sustainable Destination’ for the Wales by Trails concept
• The World Media Group has announced Cymru Wales as the Grand Prix winner of the 2023 World Media Awards and ‘Wales To The World’ campaign also won the Travel & Tourism category. It capitalised on the opportunity to showcase the nation to an international audience when Wales qualified for the FIFA World Cup finals for the first time in 64 years. Other brands included Adidas, Birkenstock, Visa and Volkswagen.
• Cardiff  - Best UK City and Most Friendly UK city in 2023 at the Readers’ Choice Awards (CN Traveller).
• Pontcysyllte Aqueduct  – the world’s most beautiful UNESCO site in the UK (TimeOut London – according to tour operator Explore Worldwide). There are six other sites with UNESCO World Heritage Status in Wales to discover.
• Angela Shanley Associates ( Cambria@ASA ) – tour operator of the year (UKinbound). In June 2022 Angela Shanley Associates welcomed Wales specialists Cambria DMC into the ASA group offering a complete DMC service dedicated to Wales for FIT, Group & Business Events travel.
• The Royal Mint  – best museum or gallery and runner up best guided tour (Group Leisure & Travel Awards 2023). Tourist attraction of the year (Welsh Hospitality Awards 2023).
• Hensol Castle Distillery  - TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Award 2023 for the second year.
• Pembrokeshire  - one of the 20 highest scores in Leading Places Tourism Sentiment Index, ranking it among the top 100 most loved destinations in the world. The list is based on review sites and millions of online conversations.
• Solva – included in 20 most beautiful villages in the UK and Ireland (CN Traveller).
• Wales – featured in global list of places to go in 2023 and on list of 13 exciting UK destinations for 2023 (Conde Nast).
• Cardigan  – top three Best UK Places to Visit in 2023 – (TimeOut).
• Pembrokeshire – included in best destinations to visit in 2023 (Rough Guides).
• Penally Abbey Hotel, Tenby – AA Hotel of the Year (Wales)
• The Jackdaw, Conwy – AA Restaurant of the Year (Wales)
• Ynyshir Restaurant and Rooms – AA Restaurant with Rooms of the Year (Wales); National (UK) Restaurant of the Year (National Restaurant Awards, second year running)

Wales Destination Awards 2019

In 2019 , Wales was listed in Rough Guide's Most Beautiful Countries in the World list. 'There’s a lot of love for this country among our readers – and many of us have nostalgic memories of summer holidays along the coast of  Wales ,' say Rough Guide. 'With beaches that could rival the Mediterranean (on sunny days at least), plus a slew of historic castles, mountains to climb, coast paths to walk, and of course, buttered Welsh cakes to eat, there's a host of entertaining ways to spend your days. We think a walk along the Pembrokeshire coastline followed by a hearty lunch in a cosy coastal pub is quite hard to beat.'

We have so many beautiful beaches in Wales, and we are very proud that in July 2019 , The Sunday Times’ Beach of the Year was awarded to Castle Beach in Tenby. 

Castle Beach, Tenby - Sunday Times Beach of the Year 2019

During November  2019 we achieved the following accolades:

• Visit Wales received The Times and Sunday Times Travel Editor’s Award, selected by travel editor Duncan Craig at the News UK Travel Awards 2019 in London;
• The Wales Way has been named among 25 of the best trips in the world to take in 2020, according to the National Geographic's international editorial teams . The Wales Way featured number 3 in the ‘Adventure Trip’ category, topped by Tasmania, Australia (1), Grossglockner High Alpine Road, Austria (2), and ahead of Tohoku, Japan (4), Kamchatka, Russia (5), and Zakouma National Park, Chad (6);
• we won the Silver Award in the International Travel and Tourism Awards for Best Destination Marketing Campaign – Country for our Year of Legends campaign.

In 2017 , Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel featured North Wales, which was named on the list of the Top 10 Regions for 2017. North Wales was the only place in the UK included in Best in Travel 2017, and according to Lonely Planet ‘earned its place as a must-see destination for 2017 thanks to the region’s reinvention‘. Penrhyn Quarry is the amazing setting for  Zip World Velocity , and if you visit Bounce Below at  Zip World Slate Cavern Adventures , you’ll be bouncing around in what was once a Victorian slate mine.

Bounce Below at Zip World Slate Cavern Adventures

Every year, expert travellers from Lonely Planet tour the world to find 10 of the best countries, cities and regions to visit for the year ahead. From charismatic old quarters to modern masterpieces of architecture, they take it all in to come up with a list of 30 places that travellers need to check out and publish it online and in paperback.

The Best in Travel list is a high-profile, agenda-setting selection of destinations, offering tourists something new that they possibly haven’t thought about before. All of the places included have something extra special about them, be it beautiful scenery, amazing adventuring opportunities or exquisite cuisine. To make the list means you're quite a big deal.

In 2016 , Wales was named as one of the top ten countries to visit in the world by leading travel guide, Rough Guides.

We beat both Kenya and Sri Lanka to be ranked number 8 in the list, thanks to our ‘extraordinary beauty and remarkably preserved historical sites’.

The guide went on to say ‘Culture vultures, foodies, festival junkies, adventurers, hikers and extreme sports enthusiasts will be spellbound here. Wales celebrates its “Year of Adventure” in 2016, and there’s no better time to explore one of the finest natural playgrounds in Europe.'.

Llyn Padarn, near Llanberis, Snowdonia and Lake Vyrnwy, Powys, Mid Wales

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Tourism Industry Update

News for the Tourism Industry in Wales

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24 June 2022

BULLETIN CONTENTS: #theexperiencemakers – Wales’ Tourism and Hospitality skills and recruitment campaign; Update your listing ready for the summer; Are you displaying the correct grading sign both at your establishment and on your website?; National Forest for Wales - The Woodland Investment Grant (National Lottery Heritage Fund – Round 1); Pubs Code and Pubs Code Adjudicator: invitation for views on the second statutory review; Croeso Awards 2022: Pembrokeshire Tourism Awards; Written Statement: Consultation on Shaping Wales' Future: Using National Milestones to measure our Nation’s progress (Wave 2); Ensure your event runs safely this summer; Guidance for businesses offering work to people coming from Ukraine; HMRC Employer Bulletin June 2022; HMRC update for employers – NIC thresholds in your July payroll.

#theexperiencemakers – Wales’ Tourism and Hospitality skills and recruitment campaign

A further phase of the #experiencemakers tourism and hospitality skills and recruitment campaign, delivered in partnership with Working Wales will go live from 22 June onwards. A new 30 second advert aimed at highlighting the range of careers and opportunities available in the tourism and hospitality sector will run at cinemas across Wales and on TV on S4C and targeted advertising on ITV hub and All4. There will also be a further digital activity across the Working Wales social channels to promote careers in the sector.

The campaign has been developed in partnership with the industry-led Wales Tourism and Hospitality Skills partnership to support the sector by raising awareness of the high numbers of vacancies and of the variety of career opportunities available. Launched in 2021 activity so far has included digital campaigns, content creation, advertorials and targeted PR opportunities. Aimed at young people – school leavers, students, and those unsure about their future career as well as young adults who may be looking for flexible working around e.g. childcare and older adults looking for part-time work or a career change. The campaign has been welcomed and supported by the industry including UKHospitalityCymru and the Wales Tourism Alliance.

The cinema and TV and cinema advert will run from 22 June for a month in run up to the school holidays, boosted by digital directing users to the Working Wales website for more information and careers advice.

Further information and content and case studies can be found on the Working Wales website tourism and hospitality section.

Update your listing ready for the summer

Have a listing on visitwales.com? Listings for your accommodation, attractions, activities and events make up a key part of promoting the amazing tourism range we have here in Wales.  Products on visitwales.com between them get hundreds of thousands of views per month, tens of thousands of web referrals and thousands of email and telephone enquiries every month.

To give the best impression it’s important that your listing is kept up to date, and make the most out of photography and video features to get the best interaction with potential visitors.

Please update your record using your  product listing login . If you would like some help logging in, please email Visit Wales Data Steward [email protected] or call 0330 808 9410.  For advice and tips on content or to request training or support please email [email protected] .

Are you displaying the  correct  grading plaque at your establishment and electronic logo on your website?

While many businesses have taken advantage of the free replacement signage featuring the Cymru Wales brand there are still those that are displaying the old signs both at their premises  and  online with the wrong electronic logo (on their websites). Displaying the old signs can make your establishment look out of date and outside the Visit Wales branding family.

In order to replace your sign, please email [email protected] for further details.

Even while you’re waiting for the correct sign to arrive, you can change the logo on your website.  Please email  [email protected]  and we can send you the right logo by return, so you can replace the old artwork on your website

National Forest for Wales - The Woodland Investment Grant (National Lottery Heritage Fund – Round 1)

On the 13 June a new window of The Woodland Investment Grant was launched. With £1.9m funding available in 2022/2023 the scheme offers grants of £40,000 – £250,000 for projects which create new woodlands and/or enhance and expand existing woodlands. These woodlands must have the potential to become part of the National Forest network in the future. This means woodlands that are well-managed, accessible to people and give local communities the opportunity to get involved in woodlands and nature.

More information can be found at the following link: National Forest for Wales - The Woodland Investment Grant (National Lottery Heritage Fund – Round 1) | GOV.WALES

Pubs Code and Pubs Code Adjudicator: invitation for views on the second statutory review

As part of the second statutory review of the Pubs Code (the Code) and the Pubs Code Adjudicator (PCA), the UK Government has issued an invitation to stakeholders to share their views and evidence to help to inform the review’s conclusions.

Government is required to undertake a review of the operation of the Code and the performance of the PCA every three years. The Code regulates the relationship between large pub-owning businesses and their tied pub tenants in England and Wales to ensure the fair and lawful treatment of such tenants.

Find out more and submit your views on Pubs Code and Pubs Code Adjudicator: invitation for views on the second statutory review, 2019 to 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) .

Closing date is 17 August 2022.

Croeso Awards 2022: Pembrokeshire Tourism Awards

Entries for the Croeso Awards 2022 are open.  Organised by Visit Pembrokeshire the awards are open to all tourism operators and suppliers to the tourism industry in Pembrokeshire and are on a self-nomination process.

Find out more on Home - Visit Pembrokeshire Awards . Nominations close on 8 July 2022.

Written Statement: Consultation on Shaping Wales' Future: Using National Milestones to measure our Nation’s progress (Wave 2)

A written statement was provided on 21 June by Jane Hutt, MS Minister for Social Justice to launch a consultation on the second wave of national milestones for Wales that will shape future action towards achieving the well-being goals.

Achieving the well-being goals will require action by Government, the public sector, businesses, the third sector and citizens.

Details are available on:  Written Statement: Consultation on Shaping Wales' Future: Using National Milestones to measure our Nation’s progress (Wave 2) (21 June 2022) | GOV.WALES

Consultation period: 21/06/22 - 12/09/22

Ensure your event runs safely this summer

Good planning and organisation is essential to putting on an event that is both safe and enjoyable.

Get started with the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) guidance for organisers on how to plan, manage and monitor your event. It will help you make sure workers, and the visiting public are not exposed to health and safety risks.

Whether you're an organiser, venue owner or volunteer, find out more about your responsibilities.

Further details are available on:  Ensure your event runs safely this summer | Business Wales (gov.wales)

Guidance for businesses offering work to people coming from Ukraine

The UK Government has published guidance for businesses considering making offers of employment to people coming to the UK from Ukraine.

Further details are available on:  Guidance for businesses offering work to people coming from Ukraine | Business Wales (gov.wales)

HMRC Employer Bulletin June 2022

The June edition of the Employer Bulletin brings you all the latest HMRC updates and guidance to support employers, payroll professionals and agents.

Included in this edition are important updates on:

• increases in National Insurance thresholds
• Basic PAYE Tools – an additional in-year release
• COVID-19 easements that are ending

Further details are available on:   HMRC Employer Bulletin June 2022 | Business Wales (gov.wales)

HMRC update for employers – NIC thresholds in your July payroll

Ensure you accurately reflect increased NIC thresholds in your July payroll.

On 23 March 2022 the UK Government announced that from 6 July 2022 National Insurance thresholds would be increased. To accommodate this change, payroll software, including HMRC’s Basic PAYE Tools, will need to be updated. This may happen automatically, or you might need to take action.

Further details are available on:  HMRC update for employers – NIC thresholds in your July payroll | Business Wales (gov.wales)

Stay up to date with tourism industry news

Take a look at our latest Visit Wales industry newsletters and bulletins:  Tourism Newsletter/Bulletin | Business Wales (gov.wales).

These include the latest tourism industry news from Wales and information for the industry on Coronavirus (COVID-19). 

Useful Links

• Coronavirus information
• Addo : Make your promise to Wales
• Welsh Government Announcements
• Welsh Government Consultations

For specific support and advice about dealing with coronavirus, from financial and supply chain planning to advice on staffing issues, we would advise tourism businesses and stakeholders in Wales to visit the  Business Wales website  or call Business Wales helpline on 03000 6 03000. You should regularly visit the  Public Health Wales website  for up-to-date public health information for you, your staff and your visitors.

Update your subscriptions, modify your password or email address, or stop subscriptions at any time by logging in to your acc ou nt .

People love Wales when they visit – new research shows

Ymwelwyr wrth eu boddau â chymru –  yn ôl ymchwil newydd.

People who take a holiday in Wales say they’re very satisfied with their experiences in the country, new research published by Visit Wales today shows.

The reports from the Visit Wales consumer re-contact survey provides information on the trip-taking behaviours and intentions of Visit Wales’ consumer contacts. Consumer contacts are people who engaged with and provided their contact details to Visit Wales in 2022 – they are also referred to as ‘enquirers’.

Some findings on enquirers from the UK and Ireland include:

• 61% of Visit Wales enquirers from the UK and Ireland took a holiday or short break in Wales in 2022.
• Those who visited Wales in 2022 were very satisfied with a wide range of areas. They were the most satisfied with the ‘quality of the natural environment’ in Wales (83% very satisfied), followed by ‘feeling of safety’ (80%), ‘cleanliness of beaches’ (77%), ‘the welcome you received’ (76%) and ‘places to visit (75%).
• On the experience of a holiday in Wales, 78% of overnight visitors rated their experience in Wales as ‘excellent’, a notable rise on 2021 ratings.

The aim of the Welsh Government tourism strategy is to spread tourism benefits throughout Wales, encouraging increased spend in our economy and tackling seasonality by promoting Wales as a nation you can visit all year round. 

Meanwhile, 22% of people from the UK and Ireland who visited Wales in 2022 stated Visit Wales communications influenced their decision to take their holiday or short break in Wales. The main reported changes to trips taken to Wales because of Visit Wales communications were making visits outside the summer season and visiting new and more places than originally planned.

Beyond ‘wanting to visit again’, those who take a trip to Wales were most likely to be motivated to visit Wales by the opportunity ‘to get away from it all and have a rest’ and ‘to connect with nature/be outdoors’.

Communications from Visit Wales also appear to have impacted future trips. Around 1 in 4 people who intend to visit Wales in 2023 indicate that Visit Wales communications have already had an influence on their decision to take their 2023 trip.

Deputy Minister for Arts and Sport, Dawn Bowden, who is responsible for tourism within the Welsh Government, said:

“With the Easter holidays fast approaching, we’re looking forward to welcoming new and returning visitors to our beautiful country. We also want to encourage the people of Wales to discover parts of the country they may have never been to before - there’s something for everyone to see and visit in all parts of Wales.

“It’s excellent to see the positive influence Visit Wales marketing campaign are having on those visitors who have engaged with Visit Wales prior to their visit. Our Visit Wales’ marketing campaigns will continue to keep Wales front of mind, especially with the industry reporting a trend in much later bookings aligned to the economic climate.”

Notes to editors

This survey was conducted amongst Visit Wales consumer contacts based in the UK, Ireland, Germany, and the USA, who engaged with Visit Wales communications and provided their contact details in 2022.

Enquirers were contacted by Visit Wales via email in January 2023 and asked to complete a 10 minute online survey. There were 5,381 completed surveys from UK and Ireland enquirers, 1,287 from German enquirers, and 299 from US enquirers.

The findings will inform future Visit Wales’ marketing activity.

The Research can be found here

Links to Visit Wales TV adverts can be found here:

CY - https://vimeo.com/812092166

EN -  https://vimeo.com/812092232

We Are Nature

Here at Bluestone National Park Resort, we’re bringing things back to basics for 2022. Our resort, nestled in the heart of Pembrokeshire, is your escape from the everyday.

A place where you can switch off from the outside world, spend time with those you love, and realign yourself with the natural world. It’s these precious moments that will last a lifetime.

We Are Nature: Behind the inspiration

We crawl, we walk, we run, we fly, we fall, we break, we rage, we cry, we learn, we heal, we dream, we rise, reimagined adventures, something to look forward to.

Your time away is precious, so make the most of it in 2022 with an unforgettable break at our wonderful Bluestone Resort.

We invite you to use our special corner of Wales to reconnect and get inspired.

nom nom nom...

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Major tourism event aims to sell Wales to the world

Visit Wales has hosted a three-day event with representatives from major tour operators as part of strategy to boost international visitor numbers from key markets, including the USA and Europe.

The Discover Wales’ (Darganfod Cymru) event, organised in in partnership with travel trade association UKinbound, Southern Wales, The Royal Mint, GWR and The Parkgate Hotel ends today following a two-day familiarisation visit.

Representatives of the tour operators visited key attractions such as Llancaiach Fawr Manor, Nantgarw China works and Museum, Ogmore Castle and Cardiff Bay.

The operators will then take part in a networking event at The Royal Mint and a Business to Business workshop at The Parkgate Hotel, Cardiff, with 30 Welsh tourism and hospitality businesses.

Dawn Bowden MS, the Welsh Government’s Deputy Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism and representatives from VisitBritain will also be in attendance.

Recent research from Visit Wales revealed that tour operators in key markets generated approximately 275,000 bed nights at a value of £17.9m to Wales in 2022. UK & Irish operators (£11.1m) – domestic and inbound – have generated more than half of the total value, with North America (£3.2m) contributing just short of half of the remainder.

Over 70% of tour operators interviewed expressed an interest in developing or selling more Wales products, with a third of operators having ‘strong interest’.

Dawn Bowden said: “We know how vital the travel trade is to generate tourism business to Wales, especially internationally, and fits our tourism strategy to support the three Ss: seasonality, spread and spend.

“We appreciate the significant role that inbound tour operators play in taking Wales products to international markets where they are active.  I’m sure that the tour operators will leave Wales having seen what a world class product we have here – and we look forward to welcoming them – and their clients – back to Wales soon.”

Joss Croft OBE, CEO of UKinbound said: “These kinds of events are vital for our tour operator members.  Being able to experience first-hand the full range of authentic and amazing activities, landscapes and accommodation that are available in Wales means that ultimately, they will be able to sell these more successfully to international visitors interested in coming to the UK.

“Equally, these events are a great opportunity for local businesses to establish new valuable relationships with the UK travel trade which will help them to attract more customers and more revenue which is so badly needed following the pandemic.”

Eurowelcome, the largest inbound tour operator for Spain and Latin America will be attending the event.  Following discussions with Visit Wales, Eurowelcome, is expanding with a new 2024 series of 10 tour dates touring programme for the North American market including Wales.

Chris Pourgourides, form Eurowelcome, said: “We’ve developed a brand new tour to Wales as we’ve been seeing more and more interest in the market for Wales.  We’re taking the icons, for example Caernarfon Castle, and mixing them with local authentic experiences and one of my absolute favourites is the Halen Mon sea salt refinery in Anglesey that you just can’t get anywhere else and we think it’s going to tick the box for a lot of what our guests are looking for.

“The Visit Wales team really helped us in terms of itinerary planning, but also there have been some challenges that we’ve overcome, and we could not have done that without the expertise of Visit Wales.  I’m very thankful to the team and looking forward to bringing many people to Wales.”

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Tourism market demand reports: January 2023

Each year Visit Wales conducts research amongst its priority markets. For January 2023 the reports cover the UK and Ireland.

This is not the latest release in the series: Tourism market demand reports

As the Welsh Government’s tourism team, Visit Wales is responsible for deploying tourism campaigns in the UK and internationally to promote Wales as a holiday destination. As part of this, each year Visit Wales conducts research amongst its priority markets.

Visit Wales tourism market demand report, UK: January 2023 , file type: PDF, file size: 3 MB

Visit Wales tourism market demand report, Ireland: January 2023 , file type: PDF, file size: 3 MB

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Kate Middleton has a new royal title that marks a first for the royal family

King Charles III has given Catherine, Princess of Wales , a new title that marks a first in the history of the British royal family.

The palace  announced a new list of honors  on St. George’s Day on April 23, which included naming the former Kate Middleton a Royal Companion of The Order of the Companions of Honour . 

The daughter-in-law of the king is the first member of the royal family to ever be appointed to the Companions of Honour.

The Order of the Companions of Honour was founded by King George V in 1917 to recognize outstanding achievements in the arts, sciences, medicine and public service, according to the royal family’s  website . 

Its current 65 members include politicians, singers, scientists, novelists, actors and athletes, such as Elton John, Paul McCartney and J.K. Rowling.

The new title is the latest  sign of support  between the king and the Princess of Wales, who announced in March that she is being  treated for cancer . Charles is also u ndergoing cancer treatment .

She has been a longtime  supporter of the arts  as the patron of the National Portrait Gallery, the V&A and the Royal Photographic Society.

Charles also awarded the Great Master of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath title to Prince William. Charles previously held the title but relinquished it when he acceded to the throne in 2022.

The order was established by King George I in 1725 and is awarded to members of the military or civil service for their exemplary service. William was formerly a helicopter and air ambulance pilot for Britain’s Royal Air Force.

Charles also appointed his wife, Queen Camilla, to be Grand Master and First or Principal Dame Grand Cross of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.

The title had previously been held from 1953 to 2021 by the late Prince Philip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II.

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Prince William Shares Princess Charlotte's 'Favorite Joke' at the Moment, and It's a Total Classic!

"That’s the one I hear a lot at home at the moment," the Prince of Wales said of the knock-knock joke

Janine Henni is a Royals Staff Writer for PEOPLE Digital, covering modern monarchies and the world's most famous families. Like Queen Elizabeth, she loves horses and a great tiara moment.

Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty

Prince William just gave a glimmer into Princess Charlotte 's sense of humor.

The Prince of Wales, 41, made the revelation during a visit to St. Michael’s Church of England High School in Sandwell on April 25 to hear about their mental health initiatives. During a small group session to record for the school radio show, Prince William was asked to share a "dad joke," but he opted to quote a classic that is a current hit with his 8-year-old daughter, Princess Charlotte.

"I am here with the gang here talking about male mental health, and I've been asked to produce a dad joke. I was trying to channel Jack Whitehall because most of his jokes are pretty dad-like," the royal began referring to the British actor and comedian, as seen in a video shared to X by Rebecca English of the Daily Mail.

"I think what I'll do is say a joke that is Charlotte's favorite joke at the moment, that she keeps telling me," he told the pupils, adding that they’d have to interact for it to work.

Oli Scarff - WPA Pool/Getty Images

"Knock knock," Prince William began. "Who’s there?" the students replied in unison.  

"Interrupting cow," Prince William continued.

As the kids started to reply, "Interrupting cow who?" Prince William interjected with "Moo!" prompting giggles from the group.

"That’s the one I hear a lot of at home at the moment," said the royal dad, who shares Prince George , 10, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis , 6, with his wife, Kate Middleton .

"That’s the greatest one I can think of that's clean and broadcastable," he added with a laugh before receiving a compliment from one special student.

"It's good, it's good!" said 12-year-old Freddie Hadley, who sat next to the Prince of Wales.

Zak Hussein / SplashNews

St. Michael’s Church of England High School came on the royal's radar after Freddie wrote a letter to Prince William and Princess Kate, 42. Freddie invited the royal couple to the school's celebrations for World Mental Health Day in October 2023.

King Charles ' elder son replied with a personal message on X: "Good afternoon Freddie, I’m so sorry Catherine and I can’t be with you and the rest of the students at St Michael’s today. Tackling mental health challenges and stigmas head on is so important, please keep up this important work."

Prince William signed the message "W," indicating that the note came directly from him.

On April 25, the pair finally got to meet when the royal visited the school, where Prince William told Freddie, "Your letter worked."

Prince William got to see firsthand the work of the Matrix Project, which Freddie highlighted in his letter for bringing boys aged 11 to 14 together to develop ideas and projects to tackle mental health challenges. He joined a session with some of the boys and was told how they launched the #AmIManlyEnough campaign to encourage men to communicate their feelings and tackle taboos surrounding mental health.

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Freddie tells PEOPLE that it was a "massive shock" to see Prince William arrive at his school.

"He is a very nice guy," the student says. "When I sat down with him about what we do in school with our Matrix Project, I got more comfortable and I felt like I got into his way of thinking about it. He asked us about why we do our stuff and why he is an advocate for male mental health."

Freddie adds that William "said from working with charities for mental health he realizes — as he’s a male himself — he’s gone through those things before. He realizes it is such a massive thing in today’s society, and he wanted to step up and get these issues sorted out."

Prince William also met representatives of Student Voice to hear about their projects set up at St. Michael's to promote positive mental health and joined a workshop with students discussing issues related to well-being, including designing calm kits and their dream well-being hub. 

"What a beautiful opportunity for our youngsters to shine a spotlight on everything we do in school," headteacher Christina Handy-Rivett tells PEOPLE. "And to have His Royal Highness, who pioneers and supports mental health, it was such a special moment.”

Prince William's day is set to continue with visits to two organizations dedicated to providing support for those who are homeless and fighting addiction.

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Taylor Swift makes Arias history; Tucker Carlson and Clive Palmer to headline ‘Australian freedom conferences’ – as it happened

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• 12h ago What we learned, Friday 26 April 2024
• 12h ago Taylor Swift makes Aria chart history
• 14h ago Tucker Carlson to headline 'Australian Freedom Conference'
• 14h ago ACT DPP responds to questions over alleged Lehrmann evidence leak
• 14h ago Prime minister labels Faraz Tahir a ‘national hero’ at funeral service
• 15h ago Renting families and overseas students not in competition, research suggests
• 15h ago Greenlife can resume supplying mulch under stricter licence conditions, EPA says
• 16h ago Police operation under way at University of Sydney law school
• 17h ago Federal budget on track for second successive surplus, fiscal update shows
• 18h ago Sussan Ley clarifies comments on X and eSafety commissioner
• 18h ago Jobseeker should be lifted to 90% of pension, government poverty experts say
• 19h ago Hotel detention is lawful, full federal court upholds
• 19h ago Body found floating in water at Pyrmont wharf
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• 20h ago Atlassian’s billionaire co-CEO to step down
• 20h ago More than a dozen rallies this weekend calling for end to gender-based violence
• 21h ago Teenager charged after alleged stabbing at Melbourne shopping centre
• 21h ago Dutton says Australia shouldn’t ‘dictate’ what content other countries can view on social media
• 21h ago Video of Wakeley stabbing available under X post where it says content has been removed
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• 22h ago Man and baby found after going missing in Sydney national park
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• 22h ago Hundreds to gather in Marsden Park to farewell Faraz Tahir
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Tucker Carlson to headline 'Australian Freedom Conference'

Far-right pundit Tucker Carlson will visit Australian cities on a speaking tour later this June and July, where he will appear alongside billionaire mining magnate and former politician Clive Palmer .

Carlson and Palmer will be joined by by American filmmaker Dinesh D’Souza and Queensland GP Dr Melissa McCann for the “Australian Freedom Conference”.

The conference is billed as covering “a range of topics, including current and future threats to truth, democracies and personal freedoms”.

Tickets cost between $200 and $290.

Carlson, a former Fox News host, now runs his own media outlet, the Tucker Carlson Network, where he recently interviewed the Russian president, Vladimir Putin .

Palmer, spruiking the conference, said “Tucker has long advocated that news coverage in the west can be wrongly used as a tool of repression and control”.

Palmer added:

He believes democracy cannot function properly under these controls and the only solution to ending propaganda is fearlessly speaking the truth. I’m delighted Australia has the opportunity to hear from Tucker and our other speakers on this informative national tour.

What we learned, Friday 26 April 2024

With that, we’ll end our live coverage of the day’s news.

Here’s a summary of the day’s main news developments:

Jobseeker payments should be raised to 90% of the age pension and indexed to prevent people going “without life’s essentials”, the government’s poverty experts say.

Sydney man Benjamin Cohen , who was wrongly named on air by Seven News as the Bondi Junction killer, has reached a confidential settlement with the network.

Meanwhile, prime minister Anthony Albanese has labelled Faraz Tahir , the security guard killed in the Bondi Junction Westfield stabbing, a “national hero” at his funeral service in Sydney.

Bruce Lehrmann has agreed to pay the columnist and author Peter FitzSimons’ costs for complying with a subpoena during Lehrmann’s failed defamation proceedings against Network Ten and former Project presenter Lisa Wilkinson .

Scott Farquhar , the Australian tech billionaire and joint chief executive of software company Atlassian , will step down from his role at the end of August to spend time with his young family and focus on philanthropy, the company says.

Thanks for reading. Have a pleasant evening and weekend.

Taylor Swift makes Aria chart history

Some breaking news suitable for a Friday night: Taylor Swift has made Australian music history, becoming the female artist with the most No 1 albums in Aria history.

Her latest album, The Tortured Poets Department, is her 13th album to reach No 1 on the Aria album chart, surpassing the record held by Madonna .

She is also now the first artist ever to hold the entire top 10 on the singles chart, and currently holds 29 spots in the top 50 singles at once – a feat that has never been achieved before.

Swift remains the only artist to replace themselves at No 1 on Aria album chart, and has done so three times.

Jimmy Barnes continues to hold the overall record for most No 1 albums with 15 solo albums (and another five with Cold Chisel ), followed by the Beatles with 14.

‘His mission was to protect people’: brother pays tribute to Faraz Tahir at funeral

Bondi stabbing victim Faraz Tahir has been buried by his brothers and friends from Sydney’s Ahmadiyya Muslim community, after his funeral in the city’s west.

Earlier in the day, around 700 mourners and dignitaries expressed their condolences to Tahir’s family, who arrived in Australia from overseas on Wednesday.

His brother, Mudasar Bashir , told reporters Tahir had been “the strongest person in our family”.

He was a really good, jolly person, always smiling, and always he intended to help people ... his mission was to protect people like we have seen him ... Every time when we spoke to him, he said “I’m okay. I’m good. I’m happy. This is a good country ... I have freedom here. I can say that I am a Muslim and I can go to the mosque. I can pray. I can do everything.”

He told reporters what it was like to see Tahir’s body for the first time in six years:

“I tried to speak with him because he was my brother ... when I saw him, I just said ‘it’s been six years and now I’m meeting you finally, for the last time’.”

‘He sacrificed his life for all Australians’: mourners commemorate Faraz Tahir’s bravery at funeral

Bondi stabbing victim Faraz Tahir ’s bravery has been commemorated by friends and mourners at his funeral in Sydney’s west.

Tahir’s security guard colleague and fellow victim, Muhammad Taha , attended on special leave from hospital, wearing a gown and blanket. Sitting in his wheelchair, Taha told reporters Tahir’s last words before confronting perpetrator Joel Cauchi :

We were trying to save people at that time. and his last words at that time was ‘let’s find out what’s going on’. So we rushed towards that area.

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community’s national president, Imam Inamul Haq Kauser , said Tahir had proven himself a martyr:

There’s one pledge which our youth make, that they will sacrifice their time, honour and life for others, for the sake of nation, and for the country. And we are very happy that he has proved it with his actions and deeds ... Although he was a stranger in this country ... he sacrificed his life for all Australians. He was a very brave person from childhood. He saw that people are panicked, he rushed to them.”

Rental increases may have way to go, adding to inflation ‘stickiness’

Economists are still ruminating over this week’s ABS release of higher than expected inflation for the March quarter. (Even if we probably shouldn’t panic .)

Jonathan Kearns, a former senior RBA economist now at Challenger , is among those predicting the central bank will have no choice but to revise its own inflation estimates next month to indicate inflation won’t be slowing as fast as earlier projected.

That revision could potentially push back the timing of when the RBA thinks inflation (now at 3.6%, according to headline CPI) will be back within its 2%-3% range. Its February model had annual inflation at 2.8% by December 2025, and perhaps that won’t happen now until 2026.

One thing that’s looking less likely is a cut in official interest rates in 2024.

“The risks to easing too soon, and so eroding inflation’s return to target, are significant and so it’s appropriate that the market now does not expect the RBA to cut rates this year,” Kearns said in a note circulated on Friday.

Part of his caution comes from the rental market, where increases - at 7.7% in the year to March - remain at about the highest in 30 years. The change in rents captured by the CPI has only been about 13% since the pandemic, while advertised rents have increased about 50%.

Rental increases don't look like easing much in the near term (no matter what the RBA does to interest rates). (Via Jonathan Kearns, Challenger.) pic.twitter.com/PIhs9jerGg — @[email protected] (@p_hannam) April 26, 2024

Rent inflation, in other words, will remain strong for some time, Kearns says.

Woolies fined $1.2m for short-changing former workers

Woolworths has been fined $1.2m after admitting it failed to pay out more than $1m in leave entitlements to about 1200 Victorian workers.

The supermarket giant was facing a maximum penalty of more than $10bn, but magistrate Nahrain Warda on Friday found the smaller fine to be suitable punishment.

Woolworths self-reported its breaches to Victoria’s wage watchdog in February 2022 after it undertook a review of its payroll systems.

It discovered some of its employees were not paid their long service leave entitlements after leaving the company due to discrepancies in payment calculations.

Wage Inspectorate Victoria ’s investigation found the underpayments happened on 3617 occasions between January 2020 and July 2022. The company was charged for those who were underpaid more than $250, which resulted in about $1m in unpaid leave for 1227 former Victorian staff.

Woolworths pleaded guilty on 18 April in Melbourne magistrates court to the more than 1000 charges laid down by the inspectorate.

The company’s barrister, Saul Holt KC, said Woolworths had been described as a “model accused” by prosecutors as it had self-reported and self-investigated the underpayments.

The court fined Woolworths $1,277,000 without conviction, while its subsidiary Woolstar was handed a $36,000 penalty. Woolworths was ordered to pay the regulator’s $15,000 legal costs.

‘Watch this space’: education minister flags announcement ‘shortly’ on student debt reform

An announcement on student debt reform will be made “shortly”, the education minister has confirmed.

Speaking to reporters in Perth ahead of an education ministers meeting on Friday, Jason Clare was asked whether the commonwealth would change Hecs/Help indexation in the upcoming federal budget to relieve the debt burden on students.

Figures released this week showed student debts would increase by around 4.8% when next indexed on 1 June as a result of high inflation, following a 7.1% rise last year.

Clare said:

I’ve made the point inside the parliament and outside the parliament that we need to make Hecs fairer, and we’ve got the report of the Universities Accord team that sets out a number of recommendations about how we can do that. The prime minister and the treasurer said last week that we’re looking at what we can do here. We’ll have more to say on that shortly. So watch this space.

Exclusion zone established amid police operation at University of Sydney

More on the police operation under way at the University of Sydney .

Earlier this afternoon New South Wales police confirmed an operation was under way at the University’s law school in Camperdown, in Sydney’s inner west.

Police said in a statement that an exclusion zone is in place and the community is urged to avoid the area.

The University of Sydney has said the Fisher library and law library “are currently closed due to an emergency until further notice”.

Fisher/Law Libraries are currently closed due to an emergency until further notice. SciTech and Susan Wakil Health Library are open for students. We will let you know when Fisher and Law re-open. — Sydney Uni Library (@Sydney_Library) April 26, 2024

ACT DPP responds to questions over alleged Lehrmann evidence leak

The office of the ACT director of public prosecutions has finally responded to repeated inquiries from Guardian Australia in relation to the recent findings of federal court justice Michael Lee in the Bruce Lehrmann defamation trial.

Guardian Australia had asked whether any action was being contemplated over the leaking of the confidential contents of an evidence brief that had been prepared for separate legal proceedings.

The question arose again this week when the Australian federal police commissioner, Reece Kershaw , suggested police were reviewing the handling of evidence to see whether further investigation was required.

The office of the ACT DPP has now provided the following response:

“The acting Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr Anthony Williamson SC , notes the public comments made by AFP Commissioner Kershaw at the National Press Club. It is not the practice of the DPP to comment on ongoing police inquiries or investigations. To do so has the capacity to compromise the right of a person to a fair trial. Discussions between the DPP, his or her prosecutors, and/or the police in relation to police investigations and possible charges that might be brought against a person are the subject of legal professional privilege.”

In finding against the applicant, former ministerial adviser Bruce Lehrmann, in Lehrmann’s defamation suit against Network Ten and journalist Lisa Wilkinson , Justice Lee said he was “comfortably satisfied” that Lehrmann had lied about having no role in leaking private text messages obtained by police from the phone of Brittany Higgins , the former colleague who had accused him of raping her, to the Seven Network’s Spotlight program.

The messages had been included in an evidence brief prepared for Lehrmann’s 2022 criminal trial on the rape charge but were never tendered in court. The trial collapsed due to juror misconduct and was discontinued out of concern for Higgins’ mental health. Lehrmann pleaded not guilty and has always denied the rape allegation.

It was alleged during the civil defamation trial that the leak breached a rule known as the Harman principle and laid out in a high court judgment from a 2008 case, Hearne v Street . The principle specifies that evidence provided under compulsion by the court for one set of legal proceedings cannot be used for any other purpose.

Victorian government announces $900,000 for pelvic pain and menstrual health education

The Victorian government will spend $900,000 to run free pelvic pain and menstrual health education sessions for students in government schools, the education minister has announced.

Ben Carroll says the funding, allocated in the 2023-24 budget, will allow for 400 in-person education sessions for years 5 to 10 to begin from next year.

He said sessions will include curriculum-aligned, age-appropriate and evidence-based information about menstrual health and pelvic pain. Students will develop skills and confidence to recognise when and how to seek help and support.

He said most half of all Australian women experience pelvic pain, and for the one in nine women with endometriosis, diagnosis can take on average seven years:

Nobody should suffer in silence, so we are educating young people about pelvic pain, so they know what to do if and when it affects them.

Health minister, Mary-Anne Thomas , said:

We know that schoolyard conversation around menstruation and pelvic pain has historically been seen as taboo – that’s why education to destigmatise and remove the shame associated with periods is so important. We are ensuring more young Victorian girls understand their bodies and seek help before their pain impacts their overall health and wellbeing.

Many thanks for joining me on the blog today – and throughout the week. Elias Visontay will be here to see you through the rest of the afternoon. Take care, and have a lovely weekend.

Prime minister labels Faraz Tahir a ‘national hero’ at funeral service

The prime minister has called Faraz Tahir , the security guard killed in the Bondi Junction Westfield stabbing, a “national hero” at his funeral service in Sydney .

Hundreds of mourners and dignitaries joined Tahir’s family at Baitul Huda mosque in Sydney’s west to farewell the Pakistani refugee, who would have celebrated his 31st birthday on Wednesday.

Anthony Albanese paid tribute to Tahir, speaking to the crowd outside the front of the mosque:

Without doubt, he helped save lives that day. And without question, Faraz Tahir died a national hero and he will be remembered as a hero in the history of this hard time … [He] counted himself lucky to have come to Australia. In truth, Australia was lucky to have him.

The New South Wales premier, Chris Minns, joined Albanese to pay tribute, and said:

He was excited about the next chapter in his life, and one of the things that we mourn today is the loss of that next chapter, of all the good that was coming after last Saturday. Friends, as a community, New South Wales was heartbroken today, as we farewell Faraz.

Violence against women not ‘unsolvable’, Victoria police assistant commissioner says

Continued from last post:

Lauren Callaway said she doesn’t believe the issue of violence against women is “unsolvable”. She told a media conference:

It is a problem that is going to take a long time to shift attitudes. I’ve been in the role for four years but the issue of domestic violence started to get traction in Australia in the 1970s. We just had the 50th anniversary of the first women’s crisis shelter. Our understanding of what the problem was back then to what is today is very different.

She said police, the family violence sector, academics and activists were all working together to try to understand the underlying drivers of why – 50 years on – the issue remains so prevalent.

In the last four years there’ve been several high profile murders where the community gets very outraged by it, and rightly so ... and we talk about the issue and we come up with ideas. Governments have invested heavily in Victoria in trying to resolve family violence. But I think the best thing that we can hope for now is to try and work out: what are the principles within the system that we’ve got that we can strengthen, to bring more safety to victims and more accountability to perpetrators?

Circling back to Victoria police’s family violence command assistant commissioner, Lauren Callaway , who gave a press conference earlier this afternoon (you can read our first post here ).

Callaway said she understood why women are taking part in 17 rallies across Australia this weekend and calling for greater action on a growing epidemic of women killed in violent attacks. She said:

It’s not the first time we’ve been at this moment and sadly, I don’t think it’ll be the last time we’re at this moment. I understand how women are frustrated about this particular crime theme and how devastating it is to families and friends. It just seems like there’s another terrible news story every day. Those of us who work in family violence are equally disheartened by the statistics. And they’re not just statistics – they are people who have suffered the most tragic circumstances of family violence … Some solutions, I think, place too much emphasis on women to do the changing, and we know that that’s not the long term solution.

Social services minister says current rates of domestic and family violence ‘unacceptable’

The federal social services minister, Amanda Rishworth, says the current rates of domestic and family violence are “unacceptable”.

Speaking to 10 News First earlier today, she said no single government or organisation would be able to address the issue on their own, and “we all need to push in the same direction”.

This includes men standing up and calling out violence. That is a critical part of the response. But I will not be deterred and I’m pushing on efforts to end family, domestic and sexual violence … We do need to invest in all areas, but this is where everyone’s responsibility comes in. If you see disrespectful attitudes or violence, it might be casual violence against a woman, it’s everyone’s role to call it out , step up and just be very clear. It is unacceptable.

Does that mean we need public campaigns about respecting women and changing behaviours? Rishworth flagged the government campaign “stop it at the start” will be promoted further in the coming months.

She also acknowledged that First Nations women experience “disproportionately high levels” of domestic and family violence, and said:

We currently have a steering group of First Nations women and men leading that work to develop a standalone plan for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and children and how we keep families safe. This is critical work that needs to be led by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

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