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Business News Wales
4 days ago
- Business
- Business News Wales
Capturing the Local Impact of Hospitality in North Wales
When you live and work in North Wales, the value of hospitality and tourism is not something you need to be told – you see it every day. It's in the young people gaining skills and confidence through a college course or first job. It's in the family running a rural pub that holds a community together. And it's in the visitors who return year after year, not just for the scenery but for the welcome. But showing that value – proving it in a way that's recognised by decision-makers – hasn't always been straightforward. That's why I see the introduction of UKHospitality's Social Productivity Index as such a significant step forward. It gives us a way to capture not just the economic impact of our sector, but its social value, too. And for those of us working across hospitality in North Wales – whether through training and education or directly in our communities – that shift in how we measure impact is long overdue. At Grŵp Llandrillo Menai, we work with learners, businesses and communities across the region. Tourism and hospitality are key sectors for us, not only because of the number of jobs they support, but because of the opportunities they offer. We've recently secured Growth Deal funding for a Tourism Talent Network project – now called Academy Croeso – which supports people into the sector and helps them progress once they're in it. This isn't just about frontline roles. It includes leadership and management, digital skills, sustainability, and wider development – the sort of wraparound support that allows people to grow into long-term careers. That wraparound support matters most when it's rooted in the local community. We're working directly with businesses across the region and running a programme that includes engagement with schools, both primary and secondary. It's about making opportunities visible early on – not just for young people but for parents and teachers, too. When people see clear pathways, they're more likely to see the sector as a viable, worthwhile career and stay in the communities where they grew up. That local focus is something I've also seen first-hand through my involvement with Yr Eagles, a community pub in Llanuwchllyn near Bala. When the owners decided to retire, the village came together to buy the pub – not because it was a business opportunity, but because it was a vital part of community life. It's where groups meet, where events are held, and where neighbours connect. We established a community benefit society – Menter Gymunedol Cyf – raised funds through a community share offer and were able to secure additional grant funding to make it happen. Any income generated now goes back into the community, supporting, for example, the local after-school club, which in turn supports the viability of our village school. This is what social productivity looks like in practice – local action, local benefit, and long-term value. But it takes time, skills and support to get there. One thing we've learned is the need for greater capacity building at community level. These kinds of projects can't happen in isolation. They need to be recognised, supported, and enabled through wider policy frameworks. That's especially important in rural parts of Wales, where tourism and hospitality are particularly important for delivering real potential to spread prosperity. They offer work to a diverse workforce, help keep the Welsh language vibrant and connect directly with other foundational sectors like food, agriculture and energy. For example, we've run Agritech and Agrifood programmes from our Food Technology centre on Anglesey for many years, and are building a critical mass and momentum around land based knowledge transfer at Coleg Glynllifon. The links between the food and drink sector and the visitor economy are clear and mutually reinforcing. This is about systems and systems thinking/delivery, not silos and the Social Productivity Index helps us reflect that. The challenge now is not just to measure this impact, but to lock it in. That means ensuring the value created through tourism feeds back into the infrastructure communities need, from housing and transport to broadband and public services. It also means recognising that this sector plays a foundational role in attracting inward investment. High-quality hospitality and vibrant communities make a place investable, not just visitable. There are already encouraging signs of change. Strategies like the new sustainable tourism plan for Gwynedd and Eryri focus on reducing seasonality and spreading benefits more evenly and sustainably across the year. We've seen similar approaches elsewhere in Europe, and there's much we can learn from how others link tourism income to reinvestment in communities. But to build momentum, we need tools that can help us make the case. That's where the Index comes in. It provides the evidence base to support what many of us already know: that hospitality brings economic, social and cultural value in a way few other sectors can. That's where the real opportunity lies – in using it to inspire, to influence, and to invest in the future of a sector that plays such a central role in the life of our region. Gwenllian Roberts talks about this and more in the Business News Wales Tourism & Hospitality podcast episode How Should We Measure the Impact of Hospitality? Listen to the podcast HERE
North Wales Live
28-05-2025
- Business
- North Wales Live
Hotel development, tourism attraction and port plan are all chasing £51m cash pot for North Wales
A hotel plan, tourism development, and port revamp are part of a 20 strong group of schemes chasing £51m. Ambition North Wales has announced a strong pipeline of new projects, which are being given the opportunity to bid for part of un-allocated Growth Deal funding in the future. The move aims to accelerate regional growth through the delivery of sustainable economic projects across North Wales, which will generate jobs and align with environmental commitments. Each potential new project, 16 confirmed - with a 17th subject to confirmation on scope, has been placed on a Reserve List (full list below). The projects must now produce Business Cases in order to secure part of the funding – which will be considered in terms of their impact for the region and how quickly they can move into delivery. The Reserve List has been drawn up following a review of its own Growth Deal projects by Ambition North Wales – freeing up an initial £51m of funding, and a subsequent expression of interest process. Ambition North Wales partners, Welsh Government and UK Government were invited to put forward their priority public and private sector proposals for consideration. The funding released by Ambition North Wales, following its portfolio review, was possible given its decision to withdraw two of its Growth Deal projects altogether, while moving three on to the new Reserve List - bringing the total number of schemes on the list to 20. Cllr Mark Pritchard, Chair, Ambition North Wales: 'Our name says it all – we have great ambitions for North Wales and we want to deliver faster and smarter for the region. This new Reserve List contains projects with the potential to do just that – as they should be in a position to produce Business Cases over the coming 12-18 months with a view to moving swiftly into delivery, should approval be given. The result will improve the pace of delivery of sustainable economic growth across the region.' The North Wales Growth Deal is a £240m cash pot backed by joint funding from Welsh and UK governments aimed at driving economic growth. The Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, Rebecca Evans, said: 'We welcome the work undertaken by Ambition North Wales to review existing projects and identify a pipeline of potential new proposals. This provides an opportunity to take stock of progress to date and unlock new opportunities, maximising the potential to invest in transformational developments that can swiftly deliver sustainable growth and jobs across the region. We look forward to seeing this work progress over the coming months.' Wales Office Minister Dame Nia Griffith said: 'It's great to see a strong reserve list of projects come forward for investment. 'The purpose of UK Government's funding of Ambition North Wales is to deliver economic growth to the region and create well-paid jobs that will put more money in people's pockets. It's important that successful projects help us to deliver on that commitment.' Full list of projects: Adventure Parc Snowdonia Deliver a significant new visitor experience on the site of the former Adventure Parc Snowdonia facility. Albert Gubay Business School Construction of the Albert Gubay Business School at Bangor University. Bangor Health Hub To develop an integrated Health and Wellbeing Hub in a vacant former shopping centre in the heart of Bangor city centre. Business Gateway Serving as a bridge between Wrexham University and local industry, fostering collaboration, innovation, job creation and inclusive economic growth. Innovation and Growth Fund To support North Wales businesses in agri-food, tourism, and high-value manufacturing to boost innovation, adopt new tech, and grow regional competitiveness. Kinmel Studios A project to support the film industry in North Wales. NEW-H2 This project will help kick-start the hydrogen economy in North Wales by supporting and delivering a hydrogen hub to include the supply and use of hydrogen. North Anglesey Sites and Premises Delivering 2,200sqm of business space in North Anglesey creating at least 59 jobs, and leveraging the Freeport and low-carbon energy growth. Parc Bryn Cegin - Phase 2 The delivery of a further 20,000 sq ft of employment units at Parc Bryn Cegin. Peboc Gateway Sites Unlocking 6,750sqm of business space in Llangefni, creating at least 186 jobs and maximising benefits of the Anglesey Freeport. Port of Mostyn Upgrading berth and regeneration of former industrial site. Project Prince Construction of 110kt rock mineral wool plant with submerged arc furnace (SAF), primarily to serve the UK and Ireland markets. Property Fund A Commercial Property Development Grant to close viability gaps for private sector developers of industrial and office property, with funding also available for similar public sector developments on a Joint Venture Agreement basis. Quarry Battery A £300m Pumped Storage Hydro / BESS Hybrid scheme in North Wales. Queens Market Hotel Development Provision of mid-range, mid size hotel - a key part of a wider masterplan that is currently being developed for the area. Society 5.0 - Manufacturing and Capability Project Enhance the Enterprise Engineering and Optics Centre to enable industry to access further world- class high precision engineering resources. St Asaph Business Park - Move on Accommodation Development of high-tech industrial units on St Asaph Business Park. Trawsfynydd A scheme which will include a building to include office spaces, laboratory spaces (exact specification to be confirmed) and ancillary facilities (meeting space, café/canteen etc), to support the nuclear and low carbon energy industry together with the scientific community, located on Trawsfynydd Site. Venue Cymru A project that will expand facilities at Venue Cymru, boost jobs, cut carbon, and attract major shows, conferences, and cultural investment.
Wales Online
28-05-2025
- Business
- Wales Online
Hotel development, tourism attraction and port plan are all chasing £51m cash pot for North Wales
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A hotel plan, tourism development, and port revamp are part of a 20 strong group of schemes chasing £51m. Ambition North Wales has announced a strong pipeline of new projects, which are being given the opportunity to bid for part of un-allocated Growth Deal funding in the future. The move aims to accelerate regional growth through the delivery of sustainable economic projects across North Wales, which will generate jobs and align with environmental commitments. Each potential new project, 16 confirmed - with a 17th subject to confirmation on scope, has been placed on a Reserve List (full list below). The projects must now produce Business Cases in order to secure part of the funding – which will be considered in terms of their impact for the region and how quickly they can move into delivery. The Reserve List has been drawn up following a review of its own Growth Deal projects by Ambition North Wales – freeing up an initial £51m of funding, and a subsequent expression of interest process. Ambition North Wales partners, Welsh Government and UK Government were invited to put forward their priority public and private sector proposals for consideration. The funding released by Ambition North Wales, following its portfolio review, was possible given its decision to withdraw two of its Growth Deal projects altogether, while moving three on to the new Reserve List - bringing the total number of schemes on the list to 20. Cllr Mark Pritchard, Chair, Ambition North Wales: 'Our name says it all – we have great ambitions for North Wales and we want to deliver faster and smarter for the region. This new Reserve List contains projects with the potential to do just that – as they should be in a position to produce Business Cases over the coming 12-18 months with a view to moving swiftly into delivery, should approval be given. The result will improve the pace of delivery of sustainable economic growth across the region.' The North Wales Growth Deal is a £240m cash pot backed by joint funding from Welsh and UK governments aimed at driving economic growth. The Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, Rebecca Evans, said: 'We welcome the work undertaken by Ambition North Wales to review existing projects and identify a pipeline of potential new proposals. This provides an opportunity to take stock of progress to date and unlock new opportunities, maximising the potential to invest in transformational developments that can swiftly deliver sustainable growth and jobs across the region. We look forward to seeing this work progress over the coming months.' Wales Office Minister Dame Nia Griffith said: 'It's great to see a strong reserve list of projects come forward for investment. 'The purpose of UK Government's funding of Ambition North Wales is to deliver economic growth to the region and create well-paid jobs that will put more money in people's pockets. It's important that successful projects help us to deliver on that commitment.' Full list of projects: Adventure Parc Snowdonia Deliver a significant new visitor experience on the site of the former Adventure Parc Snowdonia facility. Albert Gubay Business School Construction of the Albert Gubay Business School at Bangor University. Bangor Health Hub To develop an integrated Health and Wellbeing Hub in a vacant former shopping centre in the heart of Bangor city centre. Business Gateway Serving as a bridge between Wrexham University and local industry, fostering collaboration, innovation, job creation and inclusive economic growth. Innovation and Growth Fund To support North Wales businesses in agri-food, tourism, and high-value manufacturing to boost innovation, adopt new tech, and grow regional competitiveness. Kinmel Studios A project to support the film industry in North Wales. NEW-H2 This project will help kick-start the hydrogen economy in North Wales by supporting and delivering a hydrogen hub to include the supply and use of hydrogen. North Anglesey Sites and Premises Delivering 2,200sqm of business space in North Anglesey creating at least 59 jobs, and leveraging the Freeport and low-carbon energy growth. Parc Bryn Cegin - Phase 2 The delivery of a further 20,000 sq ft of employment units at Parc Bryn Cegin. Peboc Gateway Sites Unlocking 6,750sqm of business space in Llangefni, creating at least 186 jobs and maximising benefits of the Anglesey Freeport. Port of Mostyn Upgrading berth and regeneration of former industrial site. Project Prince Construction of 110kt rock mineral wool plant with submerged arc furnace (SAF), primarily to serve the UK and Ireland markets. Property Fund A Commercial Property Development Grant to close viability gaps for private sector developers of industrial and office property, with funding also available for similar public sector developments on a Joint Venture Agreement basis. Quarry Battery A £300m Pumped Storage Hydro / BESS Hybrid scheme in North Wales. Queens Market Hotel Development Provision of mid-range, mid size hotel - a key part of a wider masterplan that is currently being developed for the area. Society 5.0 - Manufacturing and Capability Project Enhance the Enterprise Engineering and Optics Centre to enable industry to access further world- class high precision engineering resources. St Asaph Business Park - Move on Accommodation Development of high-tech industrial units on St Asaph Business Park. Trawsfynydd A scheme which will include a building to include office spaces, laboratory spaces (exact specification to be confirmed) and ancillary facilities (meeting space, café/canteen etc), to support the nuclear and low carbon energy industry together with the scientific community, located on Trawsfynydd Site. Venue Cymru A project that will expand facilities at Venue Cymru, boost jobs, cut carbon, and attract major shows, conferences, and cultural investment. Wrexham Gateway To address viability and support delivery of the evolving Wrexham Gateway project.
