Attractions like Castell Coch should be promoted more, the study said

Access should be improved to castles, museums, theatres and festivals - and they should be better promoted at home and abroad, according to a study.

About �100m has been spent on culture since the Cultural Tourism Strategy was published in 2003 - but some areas still need to be developed, it said.

The issue will be debated at an assembly plenary hearing later.

More than 90,000 jobs in Wales depend on tourism - almost 9% of the workforce, according to the study, which reviewed the assembly government's development and promotion of cultural tourism.

Overseas market

It concluded that most visitors to Wales come to experience the culture - but the country does not do enough to promote its heritage.

It said: "Wales could do more to capitalise on its cultural assets and identity through making the cultural product in Wales more accessible to the tourist and local visitor."

The study said while 90% of all tourists to Wales come from within the UK, the overseas market is steadily growing.

It said the �3.5bn tourism industry should capitalise on future sporting events, which will bring foreign visitors to both Wales, including the Ashes match in Cardiff in 2009, the Ryder Cup in 2010 and the London Olympics in 2012.

It added that the Welsh cultural infrastructure had improved following �100m of investment in attractions including the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff, Swansea Waterfront Museum and Y Galeri arts centre in Caernarfon.