The Development of Tourism and Regulation of Visitor Accommodation (Wales) Act 2026
The Development of Tourism and Regulation of Visitor Accommodation (Wales) Act 2026 (“the 2026 Act”) will support tourism in Wales by:
• reassuring visitors that accommodation meets the standards they would expect; and
• providing a clear regime for providers.
The 2026 Act will:
• create the legal framework for the licensing scheme; and
• build on plans for a national register of visitor accommodation providers set out in the Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Act 2025.
The 2026 Act also creates a Code of Welsh law on tourism. This will:
• bring together existing laws on tourism; and
• make the law easier to access and understand.
The Explanatory Notes to the 2026 Act provide detailed commentary on the various provisions. A link to the Explanatory Notes on legislation.gov.uk will be provided once available; see also the Explanatory Memorandum, below.
Coming into force
Section 61 makes provision for the coming into force of the 2026 Act.
Chapter 2 (other than section 56) of Part 5 of the 2026 Act came into force on 28 April 2026, which was the day after the Act received Royal Assent.
The remaining provisions of the 2026 Act come into force on a day appointed by the Welsh Ministers in an order made by Welsh statutory instrument, except that:
• sections 16, 24, 25(3) to (5), 26, 28, 35 and 51 come into force on 5 March 2029 if they have not come into force before that day, and
• the remaining provisions of the Act come into force on 4 March 2030 if they have not come into force before that day. The Welsh Ministers may by order made by Welsh statutory instrument amend this date to a day that is no later than 2 years after it.
The assumption made in the Explanatory Memorandum to the 2026 Act is that the licensing scheme will be brought into force from 2029. Before this happens, there will be further consultation, regulations will be made under the Act, and guidance on the scheme will be published.
Subordinate legislation made under the Act
Subordinate legislation made under the 2026 Act will be added when that subordinate legislation is made.
Consideration of the legislation by the Senedd
The Bill was introduced to the Senedd on 7 November 2025 by Mark Drakeford MS, the then Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Welsh Language. It was passed by the Senedd on 17 March 2026 and received Royal Assent on 27 April 2026.
More information about the 2026 Act is provided on the Senedd website including a record of the Bill’s passage through the Senedd.
An Explanatory Memorandum was originally prepared for consideration by the Senedd alongside the Bill. This has now been revised and updated to reflect the final form of the 2026 Act.