Tourism Industry Update
Get involved with Year of Croeso: Invite the world to feel the “hwyl”
With Year of Croeso having officially kicked off this month, it’s great to see the world embracing the Visit Wales 'Hwyl' campaign as we invite visitors from far and wide to celebrate and experience joyful and fun moments unique to Wales.
The campaign has already seen some fantastic global media coverage from The Guardian’s feature Deep joy: Wales embraces ‘hwyl’ in tourism campaign to rival Danish ‘hygge’ to The Independent’s Move over ‘hygge’ – Wales is inviting tourists to feel the ‘hwyl’ | The Independent and on Ireland Travel Trade Network – Visit Wales Launches International Marketing Campaign: 'Feel the Hwyl...Only in Wales' - ittn.ie. There are some great discussions taking place around the use of the word ‘Hwyl’ and it’s amazing to see Wales at number 5 on this BBC piece The 25 best places to travel in 2025 - BBC Travel.
Our first marketing phase will continue until 31 March 2025 and sees us featuring in media such as The Times, Good Housekeeping and Gaydio and live across all TV channels including ITV, C4 and S4C, as well as streaming services Disney+, Netflix, Sky and ITV X. We’re also in cinemas across the UK and on all digital platforms - we hope you’ve had a chance to see the new creatives.
We’d love you to get involved with the campaign by featuring in our Wall of Hwyl on our website homepage. Simply tag us with #FeelTheHwyl, #Hwyl, #VisitWales or @CroesoCymru on Instagram for the chance to included.
You can find more information on getting involved, how to use the assets and tailoring content to your target audience on: Year of Croeso | Industry.
Rebecca Evans MS, Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, has appointed Michael Bewick to the British Tourist Authority Board (BTA), operating as VisitBritain.
Michael is Co-Chair of the Gwynedd and Eryri Sustainable Tourism Partnership, Chair of the North Wales Regional Tourism Forum, and leads on economic development for the World Heritage Site for the Slate Landscapes of North West Wales which has already attracted multi-million pound investment in to the slate communities.
Michael Bewick said:
“Wales with its unique combination of culture, landscape and culture has everything to attract more international visitors and by working closely through Visit Britain we can capitalise on those markets for the benefit of our businesses and communities.”
Michael managed and developed Llechwedd Slate Caverns since 2011 before becoming Group Managing Director of J W Greaves & Sons which now owns 2,000 acres at Llechwedd. The company is landlord to two tourist attractions, Zip World Llechwedd and Antur Stiniog, and a local quarrying company which continues the tradition of slate production on site.
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AIG Women’s Open, 30th July - 3rd August 2025 – how to get involved
This summer Wales will welcome visitors from around the world with Royal Porthcawl Golf Club hosting one of the most prestigious events in golf, the AIG Women's Open. This will be the first time the Championship will have been held in Wales and as the largest women’s sporting event to be played in Wales, will welcome the world’s best golfers and visitors to our stunning Welsh coastline during our Year of Croeso.
How to get involved:
- Come along and feel the hwyl of the Championship for yourself – buy tickets on Royal Porthcawl | AIG Women's Open.
- Be sure to let visitors know about the event, how to get tickets and about sampling our fantastic golfing trails around Wales.
- With players and visitors coming from around the world and potentially travelling and staying to experience other activities, make sure your product listing on visitwales.com is up to date. You can do this on the product listing tool.
- Volunteer to help at the Championship and share this opportunity - Volunteers will be vital to the success of the tournament and Royal Porthcawl would be delighted to hear from anyone interested in helping to deliver the event. Each volunteer would be required to work 4 shifts including 3 Championship days. All volunteers will be provided with clothing, sustenance and a ticket. Sign up on: Volunteering - Expression of Interest
With 2025 promising to be a huge year for women’s sport in Wales, the Women’s Golf Legacy Fund has also been announced this month, to help ensure a lasting legacy from the Championship by supporting golf clubs across Wales to create more inclusive and welcoming spaces for women and girls.
New leadership team elected to represent Mid Wales tourism industry
MWT Cymru, representing 600 tourism and hospitality businesses, has elected Dylan Roberts as chairman and Suzy Davies as vice chairman. Roberts succeeds Rowland Rees-Evans, who is now chairman of the Wales Tourism Alliance. Roberts praised Rees-Evans and emphasized collaboration to promote Mid Wales as a thriving tourism destination.
Full details are available on the MWT Cymru website.
The AdventureSmart.UK business toolkit makes it easy for you to promote the Adventure Smart messages to your customers, keeping them safe and helping to ‘make their good day better’. The toolkit provides a narrative to guide conversations about outdoor activities safety and includes the AdventureSmart 3 questions:
- Am I confident I have the KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS for the day?
- Do I know what the WEATHER will be like?
- Do I have the right GEAR?
The toolkit includes the AdventureSmart E-learning module for businesses, to help you and your staff understand how to talk about safety. By promoting these messages, you support emergency services and help reduce avoidable incidents.
Find out more by heading to AdventureSmart.UK and check out the business toolkit where you will find a suite of resources and ideas ready for you to use. #BeAdventureSmart and let’s get people out enjoying our coast and countryside!
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Black Mountain Comedy Festival:
30 January – 1 February
Black Mountains Festivals was created to bring light and laughter during those dark months with comedy and music for local communities and visitors alike.
This year the festival is creating a new piece of theatre with Kitsch N Sync Collective for the local care home sector and will be taking slapstick comedy and workshops into rural locations throughout Powys. Find out more about the Black Mountain Comedy Festival.
REMINDER: Wales Ambassador Scheme
The Wales Ambassador Scheme is a set of free online courses that will introduce you to different areas and attractions in Wales. You can increase your knowledge of Wales and help others to get the most out of their visit.
If you're a business owner, it's a great way to share the information you've learnt with your customers. It’s also a easy low cost way to involve your team to help visitors feel welcomed and make the most of their visit in Wales.
For further information see Ambassador Wales – Wales Ambassador Scheme.
Global Tourism Resilience Day 2025
On 17 February, the world celebrates Global Tourism Resilience Day. This day highlights the importance of resilient tourism in overcoming global challenges.
Tourism is vital for many developing countries, providing income, jobs, and economic growth. Sustainable tourism promotes environmental responsibility and supports the Sustainable Development Goals. For more information, visit Global Tourism Resilience Day | United Nations.
Supporting Tourism in Wales: We're here to help Welsh tourism businesses achieve their green ambitions. Download our resource packs for tips and funding advice: Sustainable Tourism Wales | Business Wales.
Welsh Government Consultations
Welsh Government consultations can be found on Consultations | GOV.WALES.
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).
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