When it comes to tourism, wet weather is the least of Wales's worries

Telegraph

09-05-2025

If you've ever been swallowed whole by a cloud while hiking in the brooding peaks of Snowdonia, been thumped by slanting, pellet-like rain and Atlantic winds so strong they threaten to toss you off the cliff edge on the west coast, or driven along a single-track lane in relentless rain, windscreen wipers frantically competing with the heavens, you'll know that it never rains in Wales but it pours. Or, as they say in Welsh: 'Mae hi'n bwrw hen wragedd a ffyn' ('It's raining old women and walking sticks').
The rain in Wales might be a cliché, but it's a cliché with more than a grain of truth – downpours can be spectacular in this green and glorious land. Pretty much anyone who has ever holidayed in Wales has a rainy-day tale to tell. And, as locals tell you, no umbrella (however sturdy) or waterproof jacket can ever stop a good drenching at, so you might as well just embrace it.
Trouble is, not everyone agrees. The summer of 2024 was wet. So wet, in fact, that in a Visit Wales survey, 55 per cent cited the weather for a 40 per cent year-on-year slump in visitor numbers. As a result, the government stumped up a £1 million weather-proofing fund, enabling owners of small and medium-sized businesses in the tourism industry to apply for grants of up to £20,000 for everything from visitor shelters to canopies, mudproof car parks and sustainable drainage. This is part of a wider scheme to promote Wales as a year-round destination and extend a warm croeso (welcome) no matter the season or weather.
According to cabinet secretary Rebecca Evans: 'These grants will help our tourism attractions become more resilient, extend their season and improve the visitor experience, supporting both the businesses and the wider Welsh economy.'
But on the ground, many businesses are worried that the £1 million fund won't be the game-changer in boosting visitor numbers that businesses are hoping for. Though a welly-booted foot in the right direction, they believe the sum is just a drop in the ocean – insufficient to have a real and lasting impact on the industry. So what else can be done?
Sing about the country's charms
Instead of focusing on the negatives, focus on the positives and what brings people to Wales in the first place – its wild, glacier-sculpted beauty, its outdoor adventures, its millennia-spanning history, its low-beamed pubs filled with real ales and roaring fires (perfect for when it buckets down).
Wales is a land of fantasy backdrops. Movie tourism is booming and gives exposure to millions, and film directors can't get enough of the country's rugged looks, castles and dragons, as seen in the likes of HBO's House of the Dragon. Tours, themed itineraries, maps and apps could give tourists from overseas fresh incentive to visit and mean big bucks for Wales.
Adventure tourism is huge and Wales is ripe with potential, with vast moors, craggy peaks and the magnificent 860-mile Wales Coast Path skimming the country's entire coastline – a world first. Snowdonia is right up there with extreme sports hubs like New Zealand's Queenstown – there's trekking, rock climbing, caving, kayaking, ziplining in an enormous slate quarry, the lot. Pembrokeshire is the birthplace of coasteering, has beaches to rival Cornwall and prehistoric stones that are the precursor of Stonehenge. And you'll never get closer to puffins than on Skomer Island.
The food scene has gone through the roof (hello, two-Michelin-starred Ynyshir). Nowhere on earth has more castles per square mile. King Arthur legends abound. And Wales glitters with some of the world's starriest night skies, with three International Dark Sky Places and Europe's first Dark Sky Sanctuary, Ynys Enlli, or Bardsey Island). It's all here but let's make more of it, shout louder about it, create bespoke packages and themed road trips – offer visitors an easy road in.
Improve infrastructure
Forget the rain, let's arrive first. Things have been looking up for Cardiff Airport recently, with new routes and more flights, but the airport still lags behind on a national level, with 881,000 passengers in 2024 versus Bristol's 10 million, Edinburgh's 15.8 million and Heathrow's record-breaking 83.9 million. Increased investment could attract more airlines still, opening Wales up to the wider world.
Behind the wheel, it can take three to four hours to drive from south to north, not because of the distance, but because of the roads over hill, moor and valley. If you have limitless time, the single-tracks are charming, but not everyone wants to move at tractor pace. Investment, an eye on a greener future (more EV charging points) and clever marketing to show off the beauty of the backroads is needed.
Public transport could do with a push, too. Travelling from South Wales to Snowdonia often involves going through England, with a change in Shrewsbury or Chester. Bus services can be patchy and, in remote reaches, non-existent. Underfunding means services are often axed. Transport for Wales' Explore Wales Pass isn't as handy as it could be: available for four days in an eight-day period. With an improved network, Wales could offer incentives for travelling by public transport, taking note of great-value passes like Germany's Deutschland Ticket, covering the entire network for €58 a month.
Ditch the tourism tax
There has been much talk about the tourist tax, or visitor levy, in the offing, which is expected to be introduced in 2027. Applying to overnight stays, the fee is expected to be £1.25 per person per night in B&Bs and hotels, £0.75 in campgrounds and hostels. Even babies and toddlers won't be exempt.
This money is supposed to generate revenue to feed into the tourism industry. But many businesses are disgruntled and believe it's a bad move, pointing out that such taxes often apply in areas of overtourism. Wales isn't Venice or Santorini – it needs to encourage more people to visit, so surely introducing a fee to do so will be off-putting?
Maybe. But perhaps the deciding point is how Wales manages the tax, showing the tangible benefits. Countries like Austria, Germany and Switzerland do this brilliantly well, with visitor taxes equalling guest passes that entitle visitors to everything from free guided hikes and public transport to hefty discounts on everything from local attractions to next-big-thing wellness activities like – who knows? – rain bathing.