Wales needs to be ‘more Harry Potter’ to cast spell on tourists
WALES needs to sell its mythology if it is to capture the post-Covid international tourism market, three academics believe.
The country should rebrand itself as the “The Land of Dragons and Legends”, promote its links with King Arthur and take a leaf from the Harry Potter books, they told a hearing of the Welsh Affairs Committee.
Otherwise, Wales could face a declining staycation market without a big-name pull to lure overseas visitors, said the marketing experts from Brunel nel University London.
Dorothy Yen, Ana Canhoto and Liyuuan Wei all origi- nated from different countries and said they have since “fallen in love” with Wales.
But the notion was rejected by y North Wales Toururism, which said the country has no need eed to “reinvent itself ”.
Few countries globally have so much to offer in such a small package, and efforts to increase the “inbound” market were already underway, it said.
In a report submitted to the committee’s MPs, the three academics questioned the wisdom of a tourist tax until Wales had cemented a real foothold in the international market.
The report concluded: “The introduction of tourism levy could increase government revenues in the short term, but is likely to have a detrimental effect in terms of creating a sustainable stream of visitors.
“Hence, the timing of the levy introduction is critical. It may be better accepted by international tourists when Wales’ unique selling point is well-established and is understood in the mind m of international tion tourists.” The Th Welsh Affairs Aff Committee is exploring what steps the UK Government can take to promote Wales to the world.
Inbound tourism matters for countries like Wales as per capita spending is higher than domestic tourism, on which the country traditionally relies. Boosting the number of overnight stays – always the Holy Grail of tourism economies – also helps promote exports, with Welsh food and drink likely to be among the biggest beneficiaries.
Lead author Dorothy Yen, professor in marketing, told the MPs that Wales has much to offer, with a rich culture, wonderful landscapes and a “diversity of experiences”, but these attractions often failed to register with overseas visitors. For many foreign tourists, Wales was seen as “relatively unknown” and a “risky use of their limited annual leave time”, said Prof Yen. Unlike London, which has Big Ben, the Palace and the Tower of London, or Scotland, with its bagpipes and Highlands, Wales “lacks a distinctive association with tourist landmarks”, she believes. The exception, said Prof Yen, was Wales’ links to dragons and legendary figures such as King Arthur and Merlin. “None of the other UK nations can own up to these cultural symbols as righteously as Wales,” said the report. “Following the success of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts, magic creatures have become a popular trend amongst not only children but also adults. This presents an opportunity for Wales.” To push this theme, the academics suggest dragon museums and theme parks, along with dragon walks around towns and coasts. Tourism activities could reference popular movies such as How to Train Your Dragon and Monty Python and the Holy Grail (the opening scene was filmed at Kidwelly Castle, Carmarthenshire). The Brunel University trio even advocates a national Day of Dragons and Legends, similar to Visit Scotland’s “A Perfect Day” concept.
The idea is to position Wales as a short-trip destination to attract London-based international tourists.
Wales has its Ddraig Goch and Visit Wales already promotes the Red Dragon alongside King Arthur. But Prof Yen claimed the marketing was racially suspect – she noted that few online images used by Visit Wales feature “non-white tourists”.
The report added: “Individuals are more attracted to promotional materials that they can identify with in terms of ethnicity or demographics.”
As tourism markets start to recover from the pandemic, Wales is seen as being vulnerable if it persists in attracting UK-based tourists, according to the Brunel University report. To open up its international appeal, tourism and hospitality businesses must work with residents and even domestic tourists to sell the Welsh dragon, it said.
UK visitors who share their own experiences via social media will be more effective than traditional marketing, said Prof Yen. She suggests everyone be encouraged to use the hashtag #ilovewales on Instagram.
Places like Snowdonia are on many tourists’ to-do list but are hard to reach without a car, said the report. To counter the problem of geography and distant transport links, sample itineraries and special tourist passes are urgently needed.
This, said the authors, would help international visitors to sightsee more efficiently by reducing the burden of planning local trips.
Special transport rates for international travellers could also be introduced. This, concluded the report, “might counter negative effects created by the proposed tourism levy”.
But North Wales Tourism (NWT) managing director Jim Jones poured scorn on the notion that Wales should merely sell its dragons.
“I don’t believe Wales needs to completely reinvent itself, as we already have more than enough to entice people here from around the world,” he said. “All we need is an opportunity to showcase what we have, which we are now doing. Once people became aware of what Wales has to offer, they are quickly won over. At the moment there is a lack of awareness of Wales and what it offers, compared with somewhere like Ireland.
“The country has good links to inbound hubs and few places have so many top-class attractions in such close proximity, from mountains, beaches and World Heritage sites offering adventure activities and a distinctive culture.
“Post-pandemic branding of Wales should draw on the positives of how the country continues to offer access to the great outdoors, clean air and an abundance of lifestyle activities to promote good health and wellbeing.”