Tourism Industry Update
Reminder: National Tourism Awards for Wales 2025 - Revised application deadlines
The much-anticipated National Tourism Awards for Wales will return in Spring 2025. Hosted by Visit Wales they celebrate the best of the tourism industry throughout the country.
To enter you must apply through your county / regional tourism awards. Only winners of the 2024 Regional Awards will be considered for the National Tourism Awards for Wales in March 2025. Please note the extended application deadlines quoted below.
To enter and for further information, please use the links below depending on where you are located:
South West Wales:
South East Wales:
Mid Wales:
North Wales:
What’s new in Wales for 2025
Visit Wales is currently collating a list of new and exciting things happening around Wales in 2025. Our PR team are briefing media and journalists, and working with partners such as VisitBritain, to ensure positive tourism press and media coverage for Wales as a holiday destination, so please do let us know what’s new with you!
We’re particularly looking for information on:
- Major new accommodation and restaurant openings
- Big events and exhibitions
- New sustainability initiatives and responsible travel experiences – including agritourism and voluntourism offerings
- New products or experiences developed for those with accessibility requirements
- New tours, attractions and experiences
- New trails and outdoors activities
- New film / TV location tie-ins and associated experiences
- Major anniversaries
Our first deadline to submit a 2025 round-up is 28 August 2024 so early responses are appreciated. Please send your information to us at productnews@gov.wales.
Working with VisitBritain
Call for Expressions of Interest in partnership opportunities:
VisitBritain is offering the chance to express your interest in two partnership opportunities:
- VisitBritain is working with Expedia in the US, France, Germany and Australia to drive travel to the UK in Autumn/Winter 2024/2025. You have the opportunity to work with Expedia to create your own mini-campaign leveraging from VisitBritain’s broader spend with packages starting from £25,000. To find out more visit Expedia Co-operative Opportunity | VisitBritain.org or register your interest at partnerships@visitbritain.org
- Following the success of its 2022-2024 USA Industry Co-Operative Partnership Campaign, VisitBritain is investing £400,000 to expand the programme to include an Australia Industry Co-Operative Partnership Campaign in 2024/2025. The two campaigns will work in partnership with industry to strategically target American and Australian consumers via paid media. The programme will operate in two phases, awareness raising in October-December 2024 and conversion targeting in January-March 2025. For more information and to register, visit: Industry Co-operative Partnership Campaign - USA and Australia | VisitBritain.org The deadline for registrations is 27 September 2024.
Opportunity to reach new customers through VisitBritain’s leisure travel trade events programme:
A full programme of events, and an expression of interest form for events that are not yet open, can be found here.
You can also register now for VisitBritain’s free International Market Webinars 2024.
For any enquiries please contact Flavia.Messina@visitbritain.org (VisitBritain’s Industry Engagement Manager) and for any other enquiries please contact the Visit Wales Travel Trade team at traveltradewales@gov.wales.
Access for all - Helping more people access the outdoors
Natural Resources Wales:
Natural Resources Wales (NRW) are working with partners to help improve the accessibility of trails so that more people can enjoy and benefit from being outdoors. This includes working with local authority partners across Wales to identify and improves sections of the Wales Coast Path. Find out more here: Natural Resources Wales / Helping more people access the outdoors
NRW also offer walking trails suitable for people who use adaptive equipment and have produced a series of films to show the suitability of some of these trails - each film is narrated by a disabled person as they negotiate the routes. Check out the routes near your business here: Natural Resources Wales / Trails for users of adaptive equipment
Wales Coast Path:
The Wales Coast Path can be enjoyed by everyone. Coastal walks ideal for people with mobility issues and pushchairs can also be found at: Wales Coast Path / Suitable places for mobility aids and prams
Pembrokeshire Coast National Park:
Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority is improving access to Pembrokeshire’s award-winning beaches and other outdoor areas by providing a range of equipment including beach wheelchairs. The Authority’s range of mobility equipment is specially designed and manufactured to be used on sandy beaches and other outdoor terrain, including equipment that is suitable for children as well as adults. For more details visit: Beach Wheelchairs and All-Terrain Equipment - Pembrokeshire Coast National Park
Visit Wales:
You can also find great ideas for accessible adventures on walking trails across Wales at: Accessible walking trails across Wales | Visit Wales
Join the fight against waste with Caru Cymru & Plastic Free Yr Wyddfa
Keep Wales Tidy’s Caru Cymru initiative aims to eliminate litter and waste; and they’re encouraging businesses to adopt the four Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Repair. Join Caru Cymru and access support and resources here. Business Support - Keep Wales Tidy - Caru Cymru
If you’re a hospitality business in the Yr Wyddfa area, you can help make Yr Wyddfa the first plastic-free mountain in the world by becoming a Plastic Free Yr Wyddfa accredited business. Learn more and join the initiative: Plastic-Free Businesses | Eryri National Park (gov.wales)
Tourist Guide Training – the White Badge for Brecon
Love Brecon and want to share your passion with others? The Wales Official Tourist Guides Association is looking for passionate individuals to train as tourist guides in Brecon. Gain the skills to lead safe, entertaining, and informative tours whilst learning about this historic and bustling market town:
-
Course fee: £100
-
Start date: 11 September 2024, course runs for 12 weeks with one session per week.
For further information and to register your interest, please email dianamjames@btinternet.com
Workplace recycling law – are you sorted?
Since 6 April 2024 workplaces have been separating their waste for recycling. You can watch how the South Wales Touring Park have adapted to the changes, and its owner Hywel Davies says “how positively it’s been accepted”: Workplace recycling at South Wales Touring Park (youtube.com)
To check you’re sorting your waste correctly visit: Workplace recycling | GOV.WALES
As the regulator, Natural Resources Wales (NRW) is on hand to help workplaces comply with the new regulations and manage their waste in the right way: Natural Resources Wales / Separated waste collections for workplaces
Additional information on the safe management and disposal of your business waste is available at: Do you know where your waste is going? | Business Wales (gov.wales)
Celebrating 40 years of Cadw
This year marks a significant milestone for Cadw as it celebrates its 40th anniversary and continues on its mission to care for Wales’ historic places while inspiring current and future generations to connect with the nation’s rich cultural heritage. For further details visit: Celebrating 40 years of Cadw: Caring for our precious Heritage, Discovery and Learning | Cadw (gov.wales)
Dark Sky Festival 2024 - Bannau Brycheiniog National Park
The 3rd Annual Dark Sky Festival will take place at the National Park Visitor Centre, Libanus on Saturday 21 September 2024. For more details visit: Stargazing - Brecon Beacons National Park, Wales
Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water - Lisvane and Llanishen Reservoirs marks its first anniversary
Just a year after opening, Lisvane and Llanishen Reservoirs - which encompasses two Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) - has been recognised in three prestigious awards:
The Reservoirs were also granted National Forest for Wales status by Welsh Government, and were a finalist in the Community Benefit category of the RICS Wales Awards 2024.
Free Carbon Literacy workshops in Powys
The Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) near Machynlleth is offering fully funded Carbon Literate Certified courses for businesses, community groups, town and community councils, social enterprises and other organisations in Powys.
Bookable up until the end of 2024, CAT’s Zero Carbon Britain trainers will be welcoming groups from across Powys to take part in this two-part training programme which will support businesses and other groups to become more aware of sustainability related issues and to create a low-carbon culture within their projects and workplaces. For more information visit Free Carbon Literacy Training in Powys | Cat.org.uk
Reminder: Arival | Activate Edinburgh 2024 - The Essential Event for Operators of Tours, Activities, and Attractions in Northern Europe
Arival events are exclusively for experiences industry professionals, filled with practical content tailored to address the challenges faced by businesses like yours and help grow your business. Arival | Activate Edinburgh is their first-ever event focused solely on the in-destination experiences industry in the UK, Ireland and the Nordic regions.
Here’s what to expect:
-
Expert Insights: Learn from industry thought leaders from the region during plenary sessions, tap into peer-to-peer learning opportunities, and master must-know topics during tailored breakout sessions
-
Immersive Learning: Join experiential off site sessions (and fun social events!)
-
High-Impact Networking: With just 400-500 attendees, you can have more meaningful conversations with your peers, potential partners, distributors, and more
The event will take place at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre with experiential sessions and activities happening throughout the city of Edinburgh on 23-25 November 2024.
Early Bird rates available with code: VWLEDI15X. For more details and how to register visit: Arival | Activate Edinburgh| 23-25 November 2024 | Arival | The Resource for the Best Part of Travel
Consultations
Welsh Government:
Welsh Government consultations can be found on Consultations | GOV.WALES and include:
-
Reminder: Draft Priorities for Culture in Wales 2024 to 2030 - This Wales only consultation invites your views on proposed priorities for culture in Wales. There are 3 priorities, supported by 20 more detailed ambitions. Consultation ends: 4 September 2024. Find out more at: Draft Priorities for Culture in Wales 2024 to 2030 | GOV.WALES
Caerphilly County Borough Council:
Online immigration status (eVisa)
Throughout 2024, UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) are replacing physical immigration documents like Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs) and Cards (BRCs), and older paper documents, with an online record of immigration status called an eVisa. Individuals will need to create a UKVI account. Full details available here Online immigration status (eVisa) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
The Independent Monitoring Authority for the Citizens’ Rights Agreement (IMA) has also issued a reminder advising eligible EU/EEA EFTA citizens register their travel documents via their UKVI account. Read more here Citizens’ Rights Watchdog Issues Reminder Over Summer Travel - Independent Monitoring Authority for the Citizens' Rights Agreements (ima-citizensrights.org.uk)
Up and coming Event Wales funded events 2024:
Business Wales news updates
Make sure you never miss the latest news and blogs from Business Wales - go to: News and Blogs | Business Wales (gov.wales). Some of the latest articles include:
Please subscribe to the Business Wales newsletter at Welsh Government (govdelivery.com) – once signed up, you can sign in and manage all your Welsh Government subscriptions in one place.
Stay up to date with tourism industry news
View previously published Visit Wales industry newsletters and bulletins: Tourism Newsletter/Bulletin | Business Wales (gov.wales).
|
