Updated:<\/strong> Sun 11th Jan<\/p>\n Plans to introduce a new licensing scheme for holiday lets in Wales will be debated in the Senedd next week.<\/p>\n On Tuesday 13 January, Members will consider the Development of Tourism and Regulation of Visitor Accommodation (Wales) Bill \u2014 legislation that would overhaul how visitor accommodation is regulated across the country.<\/p>\n The Bill follows Welsh Government promises made in 2021 to license holiday lets, alongside commitments in its Co-operation Agreement to introduce a statutory scheme.<\/p>\n At its core, the Bill would:<\/p>\n Introduce a licensing system for visitor accommodation, starting with self-contained self-catering properties.<\/p>\n Bring standards closer to those already applied in the private rented sector.<\/p>\n Make property fitness a contractual requirement.<\/p>\n Create a public directory of visitor accommodation.<\/p>\n Modernise the Welsh Government\u2019s tourism role, while requiring consideration of social, environmental and Welsh-language impacts.<\/p>\n Establish a single Welsh legal code for tourism law.<\/p>\n But while the aims are broadly supported, Senedd scrutiny has raised serious questions about timing, detail and the cumulative burden on the sector.<\/p>\n The Economy, Trade and Rural Affairs (ETRA) Committee was given just seven sitting weeks to examine the Bill before reporting back \u2014 a timetable it described as \u201cunusually short\u201d and \u201cinsufficient\u201d.<\/p>\n The Bill was introduced on 3 November, with the Committee required to report by 19 December.<\/p>\n Witnesses told Members the process felt rushed, limiting both the quality of evidence and the depth of scrutiny.<\/p>\n The Committee agreed, warning that the timetable had restricted its ability to carry out \u201cthorough and proper scrutiny\u201d and should not be used as a precedent for future non-emergency legislation.<\/p>\n Tourism organisations told the Committee that the holiday-let and self-catering sector is already struggling with the impact of multiple recent policy changes, including:<\/p>\n The 182-day business rates threshold.<\/p>\n Council tax premiums on second homes.<\/p>\n Tighter planning controls.<\/p>\n The Cabinet Secretary acknowledged the industry has experienced a \u201crelatively busy period\u201d of policy change, but said this reflected the rapid evolution of the sector.<\/p>\n Industry groups were less diplomatic.<\/p>\n Visit Pembrokeshire said operators were feeling \u201cpretty battered and worn down\u201d.<\/p>\n North Wales Tourism warned of \u201csignificant concerns\u201d about the cumulative regulatory burden, noting hospitality businesses in places such as Caernarfon had seen downturns of at least 30% compared with previous years.<\/p>\n The Committee concluded that the sector is now suffering from \u201clegislation and policy fatigue\u201d and said the Welsh Government must work to rebuild trust.<\/p>\n A lack of detail was one of the most consistent concerns raised during scrutiny.<\/p>\n The Welsh Government admits there is currently limited reliable data on how large the sector actually is \u2014 something that will only improve once a national register becomes available in 2027.<\/p>\n Instead of setting out how the licensing scheme will work in practice, the Bill leaves much of the detail to future regulations, with 20 separate regulation-making powers included.<\/p>\n Key questions remain unanswered, including:<\/p>\n Who will run the licensing scheme.<\/p>\n Who will enforce it.<\/p>\n What training providers must complete.<\/p>\n How complaints from visitors will be handled.<\/p>\n Because of this, 10 of the Committee\u2019s 23 recommendations call on the Welsh Government to provide more information before the Senedd even debates the Bill.<\/p>\n The Senedd will debate the general principles of the Bill in Plenary on Tuesday 13 January.<\/p>\n If Members approve it, the detail will still need to be built almost from scratch \u2014 through amendments, regulations and further consultation.<\/p>\n For now, the direction of travel is clear.<\/p>\n But the destination \u2014 and the road to get there \u2014 remains far from settled.<\/p>\n Spotted something? 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