The Welsh Association of Visitor attractions ( WAVA ) has passed a vote of no confidence in the First Minister’s stewardship of Welsh tourism saying his decision not to allow indoor attractions to re-open at the same time as shop and other businesses could put hundreds of livelihoods at risk.

The First Minister announced last week that all Welsh attractions would be allowed to reopen on July 13 subject to the R rating remaining low but did not give the go-ahead for indoor attractions to follow suit.

"WAVA has over many months worked with Visit Wales Officers regarding the present pandemic crisis and all members have agreed that the health and safety of their staff and local people must come first. The R rate is relatively low at present but if the R rate increased WAVA attractions would immediately close down on receiving advice from the Welsh Government," said a spokesman for WAVA.

"We fully support the view that health comes before anything however, WAVA does not support the arbitrary ban imposed by the First Minister last Friday stating that Welsh indoor attractions cannot reopen. This decision will lead to job losses and force many indoor attractions into bankruptcy," said the spokesman.

"To enforce this closure ban does not make sense as it was Visit Wales that not only encouraged but poured millions of pounds into developing indoor Welsh attractions. WAVA has always fully supported this decision as it helped holiday makers find things to do when rainy days occurred.

Following the above WAVA was forced into the following course of action over the last few days and asked that the detailed risk assessments of indoor attraction should undergo scrutiny on an individual basis. as the blanket ban imposed by the First Minister takes no account of these detailed risk assessments that indoor attractions have been working on over the past months.

It was also suggested by WAVA that experts from Visit Wales, and/or Trading Standards Officers should assess the individual risk assessments from Welsh indoor attractions, and for them to make a decision if they should reopen.

"Despite repeated requests from indoor attractions to be allowed to reopen, based on their individual targeted risk assessment, the First Minister has refused to consider this," said a spokesman.

WAVA contrasts this to the First Minister’s announcement that shops and large departmental stores can now open.

"It does not make sense that you are now allowed in Wales to visit an ‘indoor’ departmental store which has large numbers of shoppers all around you, but in contrast you cannot visit an indoor Welsh attraction which can control its visitor numbers with a pre booked system as part of a WAVA risk assessment.

"It is also a fact that large stores will stay open and take revenues throughout the coming winter and Christmas period. In contrast indoor tourist attractions will have no customers when children go back to school in early September due to the seasonality of tourism. Indoor attractions will then have to endure a further five months of closure during the winter, having generated no income to see them survive through this period," said a spokesman.

"The First Ministers decision is not based on a logical scientific appraisal of indoor attractions risk assessments. It is a fact however that he refuses even to have his officers look at them.

"The First Minister’s decision that large indoor departmental stores and all shops can reopen in Wales , but not tourism indoor businesses is a tragedy and highlights his lack of true leadership. His decision will lead to businesses closing and hundreds being made redundant which is why we have been forced to declare a vote of no confidence in the First Minister," he said.

Last week the chairman of Dan-Yr-Ogof show caves Ashford Price, revealed that the future of the attraction was hanging in the balance with the owners facing bills of up to £80,000 a month simply to keep the caves open.