Tourism chiefs in North Wales have welcomed the Welsh Government’s five-year plan to support the visitor economy.
Last week the Government revealed its tourism ambitions for the next half decade - backing this up with a £60m funding pot for businesses and other organisations.
Under the plan – Welcome to Wales: Priorities for the Visitor Economy 2020-25 - it aims to increase off-peak visitor numbers, boost spending and see tourists visit new parts of the nation.
Jim Jones, chief executive of North Wales Tourism, which represents more than 1,500 tourism-related businesses in the region, welcomed the plan.
He said: “They are putting their money where their mouth is with a £60 million pot of funding designed to grow the visitor economy in a sustainable way.
“I was particularly glad to see the commitment to investing in infrastructure projects which will help local authorities and others improve the fundamentals in relation to destination management.
“In North Wales we are building on firm foundations because the tourism sector here is going from strength to strength.
“With adventure tourism operators leading from the front, we are seeing record numbers of visitors coming to enjoy the delights that North Wales has to offer and as a result the income generated by the sector is at an all time high, well over £3.2 billion a year.”
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Sean Taylor, founder of Zip World, said: “We echo the sentiment about providing outstanding visitor experiences and we continue to be an innovative welsh brand. We also want to ensure as stakeholders in the area that we protect the landscape and environment that we call home.
“We have an opportunity to create a legacy for future generations and believe that we should always build and support the local community.
"We offer a diverse amount of employment through tourism for a very varied set of skills - from instructing on site to construction, social media, graphic design, PR and marketing and catering in our restaurants.”
Justin Everley, commercial director for Adventure Parc Snowdonia said: “The success of the Wales brand over the last decade is the result of a concerted partnership between the public and private sector, and the Welsh government’s focus on growing off-peak tourism revenue is very much in sync with our own strategy for growth.
“The launch of our new Adrenaline Indoors facility last summer means we now have a totally weatherproof adventure offer, and have been able to expand our operating season from nine months to twelve.
“In late 2020 we will launch our Hilton Garden Inn, a flagship hotel and spa destination which will help us to make North Wales a destination of choice all year round.”
海角视频Hospitality executive director for Wales David Chapman said: “We are very excited by this dynamic and positive plan for action over the coming years
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“The Welsh Government’s proactive and constructive approach should give Wales’ world-class tourism and hospitality sectors the boost it deserves. Our values, landscapes, seascapes, heritage, culture and language, alongside great outdoor offers, entertain, sustain and boost wellbeing for local people and visitors alike.”
The £60m of funding includes the £10m Brilliant Basics fund, which will go towards small-scale tourism infrastructure improvements
The £50m Wales Tourism Investment Fund - delivered in partnership with the Development Bank of Wales - is focused on high-quality, “reputation-changing” products.
Other proposals:
- Event Wales will be set up to develop, grow and attract cultural, business and sporting events.
- Visit Wales will focus on products and on developing experiences, which reflect Wales’ stand-out strengths as a country.
- It will also focus marketing efforts on growing off-peak tourism, encouraging people to spend more and spread the benefit of tourism.
- Two new themed years will be announced for 2022 and 2024.