A TOURISM chief has spoken of his optimism as a campaign to put North Wales 'back on the map' following the relaxation covid restrictions gears up.

The Leader reported last week on the view of Jim Jones, CEO of North Wales Tourism.

He said the region's tourism and hospitality sector "can't wait to forget" the last year and that going into the bank holiday weekend the industry had mixed feelings - with some providers able to trade outdoors under the latest rules and some having to wait for the next round of relaxations.

Mr Jones said he was encouraged to see such a large number of people flocking to the region over the weekend to enjoy the nice weather.

But he added conditions have since "taken a turn for the worse," which will come as a blow to businesses.

"The date we're all waiting for now is May 17," he said.

"That's the day when there's an opportunity for our sector to really get back up and running.

"We know our businesses have gone above and beyond to provide some of the best covid safety measures, at huge cost to themselves.

"They have not had much chance to put that into practice yet, so the 17th will be crucial."

Speaking of North Wales Tourism's plans for supporting the region's businesses, Mr Jones continued: "We have been marketing North Wales in three stages: Ready, Steady and Go. "We have been to 'Ready' and 'Steady' - drip feeding beautiful images of North Wales, raising interest in its attractions and new openings.

"The next stage is 'Go' which is a £150,000 marketing campaign promoting visiting North Wales.

"It's aiming to put us back on the map but also expressing the message to respect our local communities and encouraging people to visit as safely as possible."