Boost for tourism as visits to Wales rise by 15%
THE number of tourists visiting Wales has risen with a 15% increase in the overall volume of visits last year compared to 2015.
Marketing activity by Visit Wales generated an additional £370m for the Welsh economy, according to the Welsh Government.
Economy Secretary Ken Skates recently announced the continuation of the themed years with a new Year of Discovery in 2019 which will build on the three themes of adventure, culture and great outdoors and follow the 2018 Year of the Sea.
Mr Skates said: “The tourism Industry in Wales is in fantastic shape and I’m delighted that the Cadw sites attracted so many additional visitors last year. This shows that innovative ideas like the Cadw Dragon help to spark a renewed interest in our heritage which not only has a positive impact on our historic environment but also on Wales’ wider economy.
“These iconic sites are continuing to inspire the people of Wales and bringing our past to life during our Year of Legends.
“Last year, we also saw recordbreaking spend from overseas visitors and crossed the million visitors for the first time in eight years, which is excellent news. We fully recognise how competitive the market is and the challenges facing the industry.
“Our future vision – especially in light of the EU referendum result – is to do more again to build on this sense of confidence and to internationalise our reputation and approach.
“We’re making the most of every opportunity presented by the Uefa Champions League Final to raise awareness of Wales as a holiday destination in our key markets.”
Adverts will shortly appear on London Underground stations with the Year of Legends TV advert featuring Luke Evans being played on the Waterloo motion screen. The TV advert will also be shown on Channel 4 in London to coincide with the Cabins in the Wild programme – as well as on Sky Regional London and Sky Adsmart Meridian.
Figures published this week on accommodation occupancy show positive trends for 2017 with room occupancy for guesthouses and B&Bs over the 12 months ending March at 40%, two percentage points higher than the same period in 2016.
Over the 12 months ending March, self-catering unit occupancy rose by two percentage points to 54%, compared with the same period in 2016.
The Economy Secretary added: “Although most of our performance indicators look good and feedback from the industry is positive, overnight GB figures showed a fall in 2016 compared with the record year of 2015, as did figures for all overnight trips to GB.
“However, the overall picture for Wales – taking into account tourism day visits, international visitors as well GB overnights visits – shows a substantial increase in overall tourism volumes compared with 2015. The total of visits across all three categories was 15% up during 2016 – which builds on the previous successful years.
“Campaign work to convert early interest and opportunities arising from the weak pound will continue with the summer campaign.”