Welsh Secretary Paul Murphy is due to visit Pembrokeshire where he is expected to announce that sections of the national park will re-open.

On Monday, Mr Murphy visited north Wales to reassure people there, that the countryside is open for business despite the continuing foot-and-mouth crisis.

Crisis in Wales

Total confirmed cases UK-wide1,141 - with 64 in Wales Powys - 37 cases Anglesey - 13 cases Monmouthshire - 13 cases Caerphilly - 1 case Total animals slaughtered in Wales 81,080

Hoteliers and businesses in west Wales - 120 miles from the nearest confirmed cases - have suffered from the closure of beaches and key attractions.

With Easter approaching, ministers are keen to reverse the trend of the countryside remaining deserted, with the Welsh tourism industry is losing �20m a week because of the outbreak.

Pembrokeshire National Park is aiming to have a quarter of the coastal route open for Easter.

Mr Murphy is due to announce that more than 35 miles - or 57km - of the Pembrokeshire coastal footpath trail will be open.

The areas include significant stretches in the Tenby and Saundersfoot area, and on the St David's peninsula.

Forty-four beaches will be are accessible, 32 of them by road and 29 miles - or 47km - of inland pathways are open in the national park area.

Mr Murphy has urged visitors to take excursions Wales.

He said that while parts of the park would remain closed, stretches of beach and coastline would be open.

Paul Murphy on tour to boost visits

"As long as people follow the guidelines and signs, there are plenty of places for people to walk.

"The local authorities have a difficult problem of eradicating the disease on the one hand and ensuring the tourism industry does not decline further.

But Tory AM and farmer Glyn Davies said it was impossible to tell tourists the countryside was open while the outbreak continued.

"Any tourism business will tell the Welsh Secretary they are not open for business; it is clear to everybody," he said.

The government is keen for the speeding up of risk assessments by local authorities to re-open footpaths and attractions.

Mr Murphy's Pembrokeshire tour coincides with confirmation of the 64th case of foot-and-mouth in Wales, at a site in Newtown, Powys.

In south Wales, the source of a fresh case in a previously uninfected area at Nelson, near Caerphilly, has yet to be identified.

The army has been brought in to cull 500 sheep and cattle at Park Farm.

Restriction signs remain in the countryside

But there are fears that the disease could spread to sheep grazing on common land.

MAFF is investigating the possibility the disease was spread by human or vehicle contact with an infected area.

The government has urged vigilance by farmers to help prevent the transmission of the disease to clean areas.

Judicial review

In west Wales, villagers in Myddai have taken the first steps towards a possible legal challenge against the disposal of carcasses at the Epynt Ranges, near Sennybridge.

A legal fighting fund of �2,000 has been raised for a judicial review of the Welsh Assembly's burn and burial policy.

But a solicitor has told the campaigners that more evidence will be required to to have a "better than even chance" of prosecution.

The campaigners are expected to look at whether the disposal of carcasses breaches environmental law.

Pits have been prepared to hold up to 180,000 animal carcasses - with space to hold a further 180,000 at the site.

Farmers and residents in Carmarthenshire want the assembly to rigorously ensure that no further lorries carrying carcasses cross into the county, following an incident at the weekend.

Farmers filmed a lorry destined for Epynt which was leaking a liquid they believed was blood.

The county has remained free of foot-and-mouth and Welsh Rural Affairs Minister has pledged no further contract lorries would use routes into the county.