PANDEMIC TAKES ITS TOLL ON TOURISM
WHILE Easter approaches, along with the nice weather, thousands of tourists would usually start making their way to Wales’ beauty spots at this time of year.
Instead, the coronavirus lockdown means holiday makers will instead spend spring at home.
As inconvenient as this is for people, and as important it is to keep coronavirus numbers down, it is having a detrimental impact on Wales’ tourism industry.
To take just one example, familyrun Perriswood Archery and Falconry centre in Oxwich Bay, Gower, is down 100% on business for the first time in the family’s memory.
Here are the stories of tourism businesses across Wales which have been affected by the pandemic.
Tom Bynon, 35, is manager at Three Cliffs Bay Holiday Park based in Gower, which accommodates tents, touring caravans and glamping from March to November.
The park was forced to shut down after the Welsh Government announced caravans parks and tourist hotspots would have to close on March 23, and is now empty.
“The biggest overriding feeling is frustration as none of us knows how long this is going to carry on for,” he said.
“We have 15 staff members, six full-time and nine seasonal, and we are down to the six full-time members at the moment.
“The park is ready for use, we are still maintaining it and mowing grass so it’s ready for when people can come back.”
However, his outlook remains positive, and he is using this as an opportunity to think of new ways of keeping the business afloat – long-term and short-term.
“We are in the process of starting an online gift shop, which we have never done before. There are also discussions about extending the season campsites can operate – as a business you need to have a product that’s sellable.”
Lynne Pearce, 59, owns Gower independent wedding venue and barn, Ocean View, with her husband Vivian, 69.
Mrs Pearce said the pair are doing their best to reassure couples and their staff and that she is hopeful for the future.
“We had some weddings booked in March and April which we moved straight away to a later date, then more recently did the same with our June bookings. So far our July bookings are still in place, but we will assess the situation over the next few weeks,” she said.
“Overall, our couples have been very understanding and supportive and so far we have successfully moved all the weddings we needed to.”
Though rearranging weddings for excited couples isn’t something Mrs or Mr Pearce wanted to do, Mrs Pearce said it could have been more difficult if they owned a larger business.
“We have about 40 weddings a year on average, so it might have been harder if we had a bigger business and needed to rearrange hundreds,” she said.
“We haven’t seen a decline in couples booking weddings a year or so in advance so far, but a big part of booking is coming to see the venue and meeting us, which we can’t do at the moment. We have started doing video tours, and have been successful through that.”
The biggest uncertainty for the managers is knowing what will happen to their seasonal workers in the short-term.
Mrs Pearce added: “We will all come out of this eventually and everyone is in the same boat, we’re just doing what we can to reassure our couples and staff – we’re looking out for each other.”
Ashford Price is the chairman of the National Showcaves Centre for Wales, Dan yr Ogof, which has shut because of the pandemic. The centre is located at a 17-kilometre-long cave system, near Ystradgynlais, where visitors can explore the caves, meet shire horses and learn about dinosaurs.
Mr Price explained how Dan yr Ogof shut because of the pandemic and lost all its bookings.
“If this goes on, we will have to find £80,000 to keep the centre running. We have big generators and machinery that needs to continue running regardless of whether we are open or not, otherwise they just won’t work,” he said.
The majority of staff at the centre have been put on furlough while visitors are unable to attend.
Mr Price said: “Of course health has to be the priority, people are dying and it’s so sad, but people working in the tourism industry are in desperate need of help right now.”
Joe Diment, 30, from Tenby, has run Pembrokeshire Safari Tours by himself for the past three years, driving small groups of tourists in his Land Rover to explore parts of Pembrokeshire. Despite tours being cancelled, Mr Diment remains optimistic.
He said: “I reacted as soon as things started getting serious towards the end of February and the few bookings I had at this time of year were cancelled. I’m trying to view the situation as a pause button on the tours, and I will hopefully be able to pick it back up again when the situation blows over.”
In the meantime, Mr Diment hopes to get the self employment grant to get through.
Brian Williams, 59, runs Perriswood Farm with his wife, Julie, and sister in Oxwich Bay, Gower.
Mr Williams said he had never come across such a detrimental loss at the farm. “We’ve suffered losses before, with foot and mouth and bird flu, but until now I have never seen a situation where every aspect of our business has been affected – even our coffee shop,” he said.
Mr Williams explained that despite the losses, the business is managing to get by, but he doesn’t know for how much longer.
“We have some money set aside to keep us going for a while but this is quickly going to run out. We are looking towards the government grant – but we won’t be able to get that for weeks,” he said.
“The problem is nobody knows what the future holds at the moment.
“The Gower as a whole relies on tourists, and in normal circumstances welcomes people. But at the moment, safety is paramount. To get it back to its normal trading, people must follow the guidance to stop moving around.”
Stephen Crocker, chairman of Tourism Swansea Bay, said: “Through the winter, businesses invest in getting their facility ready for summer.
“Because of the pandemic, many have no money left because it was invested through the winter, so its critical they get help as soon as possible.
“There are no customers spending money and people are cancelling bookings. The whole situation is becoming a real disaster.
“We are working with the council trying to get as much done to get businesses through this very difficult time.
“We are at the coal face and can see the real issues and are trying to find solutions for our members.”