First Base is the equivalent of an 'Editorial'. It is the opportunity for S & A to provide comment and provoke discussion on topical issues relating to leisure and tourism. This will be provided each month and we would welcome your feedback on the matters raised.

First Base 26:

Date: 11/8/2004

Bob Dylan encourages us all to “Keep on, Keeping on”. A simple message but oh how we need to adhere to it!

All too often in Wales there is a reluctance to go the next step, to make the next investment, to really “add value” to all the hard work that has been done. Why should this be so? The key has to be the fact that Wales has an economy based entirely on a “dependency culture”. British Coal, British Steel, British Petroleum, DHSS, Corus ... they are all euphemisms for a subsidised economy. Tourism fairs no differently ... far too many in the private sector expect to be bailed out by the public sector if “things are going wrong”. We have simply replaced dependency A with dependency B.
So how do we make a difference? Our work on international benchmarking for the Scottish Parliament has identified 5 key lessons that would make a difference. Some of these lessons are quite challenging for our politicians and those in the public sector.

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