Focus on local action group (LAG) member - Geraldine Williams

She has been an active LAG member for over 10 years, bringing her tourism expertise and enthusiasm to the table.

She says: "Our beautiful coast and countryside is the main reason why millions of visitors choose to holiday in Swansea Bay and what keeps them coming back year after year. Sustainability is at the core of everything we do in tourism, whether it is to highlight the beauty of our rural areas, promote the fantastic walks and cycling routes available, keep our beaches clean or help businesses reduce their carbon footprint - whilst always reminding people to 'visit responsibly.

There is so much potential in our rural areas and they have seen some significant investment over the last few years, whether it is through RDP or other Welsh Government initiatives. It is vital to develop a high-quality visitor offer outside the traditional honeypots to spread the seasonality of tourism and the LAG can help achieve that.

One of my favourite Wales wide RDP projects to work on has been the Rural Accommodation Grant Scheme (RAGS) when we were able to support small tourism accommodation operators improve the quality of their offer. We cannot underestimate the importance of small businesses to the visitor economy, which is worth over £477M and supports nearly 6,000 jobs in our area.

I would encourage anyone with a keen interest in our rural communities and the environment to contact the RDP Team and find out how they too could make a difference, whether it is by putting a project forward or joining the Local Action Group."

Find out more about the role of LAG members and how you can get involved: The RDP in Swansea