Figures reveal summer
tourism boom
Official figures indicate that the tourism industry in Wales has
had an exceptionally busy summer, with the day visitor figures in particular showing
big increases. In addition it has also been a busy news month within our sector. Read more on how figures reveal a boom for
summer tourism.
Wales’ waters among the best
in Europe
Great news for
bathers and businesses alike as Wales now officially boasts some of the best
bathing waters in Europe.
The Bathing Waters
in Wales statistics for 2016, released this month, reveal an impressive 84 out
of a total 103 bathing areas have been classified as “excellent”, while over
99% meet tough European standards for bathing water quality. These include
popular visitor destinations like Trecco Bay in Porthcawl, Gower’s Oxwich Bay,
Abersoch in Gwynedd and Colwyn Bay, Conwy. Find out more.
European funding approved to make Colwyn Bay
a must visit destination
Colwyn Bay will be transformed into a must-visit
destination thanks to new funding for the Colwyn Bay Waterfront Project –
that was the message from the First Minister as he visited the development. The
project will enable almost 1km of existing promenade to be transformed by
Summer 2017.
The
development will see the re-emergence of Colwyn Bay as a tourism and
watersports destination for the North Wales coast, complementing the increasing
reputation of North Wales as an adventure tourism destination.
North
Wales was recently named by the Lonely Planet as one of the best places to see
in 2017 with special mention being made to the way the area has been reinvented
and repurposed to create a series of truly world class attractions. Read more.
Economy
Secretary, Ken Skates has met with a group of travel agents from Japan who were in Wales for a whistle-stop, five-days-tour of the country to gather ideas for
future tours of Wales.
The
meeting took place at Bodnant Welsh Food Centre- on the group’s first full day
in north Wales - having visited Cardiff for the Wales Vs Japan rugby match.
The Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA) is
an influential group of key travel agents.
In 2015 they chose Conwy as one of the 30 prettiest places in Europe
which spurred joint promotion of Wales and Conwy by Welsh Government, JATA and
local partners. Find
out more.
Work has begun on a £4m
project to transform the former Welsh
International Climbing Centre in Trelewis, creating new employment
opportunities and attracting more visitors to the area.
Cabinet Secretary for the
Economy Ken Skates and Minister for Lifelong Learning and the Welsh Language
Alun Davies, attended a ceremony to officially mark the start of the exciting
redevelopment program at Rock UK Summit Centre.
The project
has received £2.3m of EU funding through the Welsh Government’s Tourism
Attractor Destination project led by Visit Wales. The new centre will include a
100-bed outdoor education and residential centre, which will attract visitors
from the UK and overseas. Read more.
Visit
Wales is holding a series of free regional 1-2-1 business support sessions for
tourism businesses. Visit Wales experts will be on hand to discuss any queries
you may have relating to:
- funding for new or existing projects via our Tourism Investment Support
Scheme (TISS)
- the Quality Assurance (QA) star grading schemes for tourist
accommodation and attractions
- any other general queries related to regional or national tourism
developments and business support.
Come
and meet us on –
If you offer a service to
members of the public, whether you are a one bedroom B&B or a large visitor
attraction, a guide has been produced to help your tourism business welcome
people with access requirements. The guide explains what your legal duties are
to assistance dog owners under the Equality Act 2010 and how you can meet them,
often at no additional cost. Find out how you can help.
Blind or partially sighted guests
might use a Guide Dog, or they might use a long cane or be accompanied by a
sighted companion. Whatever the case, there is also guidance available on
how to communicate with blind and partially sighted people and provide sighted
guidance and how to make some simple adjustments which will make their stay
much more enjoyable. Find out more.
A number of tourism businesses have recently been recognised
for their hard work and dedication to the industry with regional awards. Well done to all nominees and winners of the Pembrokeshire Tourism Awards, Brecon Beacons Tourism Awards and Go North Wales Tourism Awards.
Make sure you stay
up-to-date with our very latest news by following us on twitter on @VisitWalesBiz
Please ensure your details
are correct and up-to-date on the tourism product database. Click here to
find out how.
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