First, do I think that Wales could survive without England?
Yes, I have no doubt whatsoever that Wales could be very prosperous without England - if only we could get the English government off our backs!! It is a falacy put about by the system of English government that Wales could not survive when it is actually a direct result of English rule that Wales is in the position it's in today.
Wales has been blessed with enormous reserves of mineral wealth. Wales supplied much the fossil fuel used for the industrial revolution over the past two hundred and fifty years. During the industrial revolution Cardiff was the largest coal exporting port in the World, Swansea was the largest copper exporting port in the world. Wales supplied the bulk of the world's tinplate, steel and aluminium; not for a short period but for generations. Contrast this with the wealth of the middle eastern countries who have been exporting oil for a mere 60 years or so. The difference is that they were not colonised, and they had control of their own country's wealth. The abundance of Wales was squandered by the English government in feathering the nests of the gentry of the south east of England while the country that produced that wealth remained colonised and poor. What could Wales be like if it only had the opportunity to invest in itself instead of having its wealth plundered. The Welsh are fed the line that it couldn't survive without England. I would make the point that it is despite the attempts of England to delete Wales it has still been strong enough to survive. Give us the opportunity and we will show the World what we can do!
During the time when Wales was being cruelly culturaly and financially raped there were two universities founded in Wales; one at Bangor and one at Aberystwyth. Was it the benevolent government of England that gave these universities to raise the state of Wales? No chance. The miners and steel workers of Wales - some of the poorest workers in Europe saved tiny amounts of money despite being impoverished and set up these universities themselves so that future generations of Welsh children would get the education they deserved. Can Wales do without England? YES WE CAN. The rule of Wales by England has been cruel and secretive.
I believe it is only because the truly great history of Wales has largely been deleted from the history books for the convenience of the English government that Wales lacks the confidence to demand that she rule herself. That is why I implore and encourage the people of Wales to get out and find their real history. It will make them proud. Around the tenth century it was written by many European travellers that Wales was a model of advanced culture in Europe, with fine literature and poetry. Do you realise that at the time of the Norman invasion hardly any Norman leaders - let alone the peasantry - could read or write in their own language. In Wales at that time almost everyone was able to read and write, even the commoners.

To your second question. Why do you not hear much about Wales as a destination in travel shops outside of Wales and overseas.
I once asked this question of the Welsh tourist board whom I accused of doing a shabby job because hardly anyone I was coming across on my travels had heard of Wales or at best (worst?) thought that it was merely a part of England !!!!!!
In their reply to me the Tourist Board stated that they were funded not by Wales but that the Tourist Board of ENGLAND allocated some funds to them!! This was the arrangement under the English government. So as a result the Welsh tourist board got very little money to promote Wales overseas and the English tourist board made damn sure that they got the lions share of the money. How frustrating and sad is that????? Could Wales manage without England? It surely could.

Et futue te ipsum !
Owain