The Welsh Government's attempts to persaude second home owners to sell up isn't working and instead is damaging local tourism economies, a leading figure has claimed.

The comments come as Wales Tourism Alliance and trade organisation Propertymark conduct research into how Welsh Government policy and other factors are affecting the housing market in tourism hotpots, and to understand if selling furnished holiday lets frees up affordable housing.

Alliance chair and lawyer Suzy Davies, who is a significant cultural and political figure in Wales, says current observations suggest that second homes coming back onto the market are not improving the supply of affordable housing for local people, while genuine local businesses, misdescribed as second homes, are also having to sell up when they aren’t really the policy’s target - again without providing efficient, affordable homes.

Davies says there are a range of reasons why owners are selling up in areas of Wales where tourism is a major part of the local economy.

No.1 concern

“But the Welsh Government’s own research suggests that its policies are a number one concern with professional holiday accommodation businesses inadvertently caught up in the drive to control the number of second homes,” she explains.

“However, we wanted to test what we were told by our own members by gathering feedback from estate agents about what is happening to the housing market in these parts of Wales; whether Welsh Government policy is achieving its stated aims, and what any collateral damage looks like.”

Any property agents who want to take part in online round table meetings on 7th and 8th October can contact policy@propertymark.co.uk. Firsthand evidence will be presented to cabinet secretary Jayne Bryant MS in November.

Agents with strong view on this should email the Wales Tourism Aliiance directly.