Latest news with #WalesTourismAlliance
ITV News
7 days ago
- Business
- ITV News
Welsh tourism sector 'nervous' about performance as cost of living impacts visitor spending
It has been a "very mixed picture" for tourism businesses this year, with self-catering accommodation said to be the hardest hit by declining visitors and rising costs, Wales' leading tourism alliance has told ITV Wales. Almost half of self-catering accommodation businesses say they have had fewer customers so far this year than last year. That's according to the Welsh Government' s recent Tourism Barometer, which provides a regular snapshot of industry performance and gathered businesses' views in June this year. 60% of businesses reporting lower visitor numbers say a lack of disposable income or global economic uncertainty have been contributing factors. There is also a strong trend emerging towards last-minute bookings. It means only one in six operators said they feel 'very confident' to operate profitably this year. The Welsh Government says it is working closely with the industry to help address the challenges they face. "We're seeing a very mixed picture," Bethan Davies of Wales Tourism Alliance told ITV Wales. "What we're seeing across Wales is a change in the patterns of visitors. "There are a number of tourism organisations that are nervous about their performance this year. Numbers are down. People who are staying overnight are down, so we've got far more day visitors than we used to have. "And people are finding the cost of living really impacting on their spend at the moment." Bethan Davies also hit out at the tourism tax proposed by the Welsh Government, saying she finds it "very difficult to believe it is going to work in most of Wales." "I think adding £40 a week for a family of four staying in self-catering accommodation is going to make a massive difference. "Would you come here to a beach in Trearddur Bay, or would you go to a beach in Morecambe and save £40 and have an extra night out with the family?" The Visitor Levy Bill, which was approved in the Senedd in July. If plans go ahead, councils would have the power to charge up to £1.30 per person, per night, depending on the type of accommodation. The Welsh Government says the levy could raise around £33 million a year to help fund infrastructure and local services in tourist hotspots, including the upkeep of footpaths, public toilets and waste collections. 'These reports lays bare the economic damage being inflicted on Welsh tourism,' said Nicky Williamson, Professional Association of Self-Caterers (PASC) UK's Lead Policy Advisor in Wales. 'What we are witnessing is the avoidable erosion of a vital sector, one that sustains jobs, communities, and Welsh culture. The figures are shocking, but not surprising to those of us on the ground.' Ms Williamson said that the 182-day rule, which requires properties to be let for at least 182 days to qualify as a holiday let, as especially damaging. 'This is not a policy designed to support genuine businesses, it's a punitive approach that makes it harder for responsible operators to stay afloat,' Williamson added. It is a measure the Welsh Government says is designed to tackle the impact of second homes on an area. Suzy Farr, bookings manager for Trearddur Bay Holiday Homes on Anglesey, says she is optimistic for the future, but the business has had to adapt to survive – with people having less money and making more last-minute plans. "We are busy right across the board. Things have changed in the last eighteen months," she told ITV Wales. "There's a lot of bookings last-minute, but we've adapted by changing things to a 3-day travel away Friday to Monday, Monday to Friday getaways and long-term getaways. It has changed considerably in the last eighteen months though.""Things have become a lot more expensive, and so that people can come away, we've adapted." Phil Brown, owner of the Sea Shanty Cafe in Trearddur Bay, said that hospitality is facing difficult challenges, so tourists visiting the area play a crucial role in staying afloat. "We are doing our best to bring people here, and I think we've succeeded. And other businesses have opened up since we started," he said. "Trearddur Bay has become a destination, and why not?"He added: "People say there are less people here this year than there were last year... I don't know. "But I think if you come here, you haven't got to go to an airport, there's so much going for Wales but they don't seem good at marketing themselves, which is a shame."A Welsh Government spokesperson said, 'Tourism makes an important contribution to the Welsh economy and to Welsh life. "Wales has so much to offer, and we want to ensure that we realise that potential in a way that achieves a balance between our communities, businesses, landscapes and visitors.'We work closely with the industry to help address the challenges they face. Sector-specific support is available to businesses through Visit Wales via capital investment funding, marketing campaigns to promote the whole of Wales, year-round and other support for activities to boost the contribution of tourism and hospitality to the Welsh economy."
Cambrian News
01-07-2025
- Business
- Cambrian News
Senedd to vote later today on controversial tourism tax plan
Chair of the Wales Tourism Alliance, Llanrhystud businessman, Rowland Rees-Evans, said: "The tourism and hospitality industry contributes billions of pounds annually to the Welsh economy and employs over 11 per cent of the working population and the Wales Tourism Alliance does not believe that a Visitor Levy is the right solution for Wales.
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Labour's extraordinary plan to rainproof Wales
One of my bleakest teenage memories is standing in the middle of a Welsh field while sheep eyed me balefully and horizontal rain mercilessly pummelled me and my miserably lost Duke of Edinburgh's Award expedition group. With that experience of a signature Wales downpour in mind, I'm puzzled by the Welsh Government's announcement that it has created a new £1 million 'weather-proofing' fund, offering businesses grants of between £5,000 and £20,000 for measures such as canopies and shelters. The scheme was created in response to Visit Wales data showing that 55 per cent of businesses cited poor weather as a reason for fewer visitors in summer 2024. But can a rickety canvas really cope with the might of Welsh rain, and will it actually make a significant difference to the tourist exodus? Ashford Price is PR officer and membership secretary for the Welsh association of visitor attractions, which worked with the Government on setting up the scheme. 'The reason we're doing this is, sadly, Wales has falling visitor numbers,' he explains. 'We want to make sure that the visitors who are going to our attractions feel looked after. We can't pretend we're going to put an umbrella over all of Wales. But we can do things like stoning a path that gets muddy to make it more solid. One of my colleagues takes people out in Newquay to look at dolphins, but they get soaked in the boat, so he wants to put a cover over it.' Price now plans to apply for a grant on behalf of the Dan yr Ogof cave system in Swansea. He's thinking of getting a cover for the land train that transports visitors, but most important, he says, is shelter for the ticket office queue. 'There's nothing worse than a line of people getting soaked through – the children are getting wet, granny's getting wet.' Rowland Rees-Evans, the chairman of the Wales Tourism Alliance, says there's no escaping the prevalence of rain. 'It's because we've got more mountainous regions and we're on the west coast. Mind, some visitors actually expect it. I recently heard about some Japanese tourists complaining because they'd gone to Wales and it hadn't rained.' Portia Jones, a Cardiff-based travel writer and host of the Travel Goals Podcast, agrees. 'It's definitely a preconception that it's really rainy. Being Welsh, I think you just embrace it: my mum always said, 'Never mind, get your wellies on and get outside.'' Jones points out a major flaw in the Government's scheme. 'What draws most visitors here is the huge, lovely landscapes. Adding a little shelter won't help if you're coming for a beach day or a mountain walk. You can't say to the kids 'Just sit under this canopy and look at the sea, but you can't go in.'' Rees-Evans, who is the director of golf and leisure complex Penrhos Park in Llanrhystud, notes that the grant wouldn't be enough to put substantial weather-proofing or new structures in place, unless you've already got an ongoing project and can put the money towards it. But in the current challenging circumstances for Wales's visitor economy, it's difficult to commit large sums. He might be tempted to add a canopy to the driving range at Penrhos, he says, 'but if that costs you £40,000, the grant is nice but you might not want to spend all that at the moment'. Porter also questions what kind of shelter would actually work. 'We specialise in sideways rain here! I hope that shelter has got sides and heating. The weather can be wild, so something flimsy is just not going to hold up.' Anna Thomson, a charity worker from London whose family regularly holidays in Wales, has many vivid memories of incessant Welsh rain. 'It's been our chosen spot for about a century. My husband's family has been coming to Pembrokeshire for decades, and he talks about sleeping in bunk beds in a shed in the garden of old family friends, hearing the rain on the rooftop. It's become a running joke – we just assume it will rain – and obviously you get an absolute downpours. But Welsh rain is different; it's like a cloud has landed on top of you. Welsh rain doesn't just fall; it envelops. Umbrellas and raincoats are pointless as it dwells in the air and sweeps into every pore from every direction.' Thomson is baffled as to how a modest structure or cover could possibly help. 'Fat lot of good a pergola would do,' she proclaims. 'I think it's a potty idea. The whole thing is wildly optimistic.' However, she also says that they've never been put off Wales by a bad weather forecast. If it rains, she and her husband take their children, aged 10 and 12, to look at a church or Pembroke Castle. 'I can't see this scheme changing anyone's mind really. You either take the weather in stride or you don't.' Fellow holidaymaker and keen hiker Jonathan Woodward, a marketing manager from Bristol, has had his fair share of wet weather in the valleys, but likewise can't see the return on this sizeable investment. 'I love going to Wales because it's a chance to get immersed in a wild, tranquil landscape,' he says. 'I can't think of anything worse than having some eyesore tent or bus shelter erected in the midst of that natural beauty. If it's really chucking it down, you either tough it out or you go dry off in front of the fire in a lovely pub. Any sort of in between measure seems bonkers to me.' Besides, argues Rees-Evans, is this really top priority? There are surely more significant ways in which the Government could be helping – or at least not hindering – the struggling tourist industry. 'The National Insurance increase on employers has put everyone on the back foot. So has the visitor levy, and the new holiday let tax rule saying you can only be eligible for business rates if you let the property for 182 nights or more, otherwise it reverts to council tax. It's having a huge impact on us.' Thomson's parents-in-law ultimately sold their holiday home because they fell into that double council tax trap. Instead of spending a million pounds on feeble rain shelters, 'the money could be used to improve the outside facilities for when the weather's good,' thinks Thomson. 'There are so many things that could be done to improve infrastructure,' agrees Jones. 'Look at the roads and public transport.' Rees-Evans notes that people are being more careful with their money thanks to the cost of living crisis, so it would help if Welsh visitor spots had funding for eye-catching new attractions. 'You need to keep upgrading or you get left behind.' Jones believes the Government should rethink their whole communication strategy. 'There's so much more we could be doing to promote ourselves. We have lots of movies being filmed here, like the new Tom Hardy action movie Venom – why aren't we telling people about that? We could also join the 'coolcation' movement: countries like Iceland and Sweden are luring in visitors who now find southern Europe too hot in the summer. Wales invented the coolcation! That would make more sense than calling attention to the climate in a negative way. We're Welsh, we're rainy and we're proud.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
04-05-2025
- Climate
- Telegraph
Labour's extraordinary plan to rainproof Wales
One of my bleakest teenage memories is standing in the middle of a Welsh field while sheep eyed me balefully and horizontal rain mercilessly pummelled me and my miserably lost Duke of Edinburgh's Award expedition group. With that experience of a signature Wales downpour in mind, I'm puzzled by the Welsh Government's announcement that it has created a new £1 million 'weather-proofing' fund, offering businesses grants of between £5,000 and £20,000 for measures such as canopies and shelters. The scheme was created in response to Visit Wales data showing that 55 per cent of businesses cited poor weather as a reason for fewer visitors in summer 2024. But can a rickety canvas really cope with the might of Welsh rain, and will it actually make a significant difference to the tourist exodus? Ashford Price is PR officer and membership secretary for the Welsh association of visitor attractions, which worked with the Government on setting up the scheme. 'The reason we're doing this is, sadly, Wales has falling visitor numbers,' he explains. 'We want to make sure that the visitors who are going to our attractions feel looked after. We can't pretend we're going to put an umbrella over all of Wales. But we can do things like stoning a path that gets muddy to make it more solid. One of my colleagues takes people out in Newquay to look at dolphins, but they get soaked in the boat, so he wants to put a cover over it.' Price now plans to apply for a grant on behalf of the Dan yr Ogof cave system in Swansea. He's thinking of getting a cover for the land train that transports visitors, but most important, he says, is shelter for the ticket office queue. 'There's nothing worse than a line of people getting soaked through – the children are getting wet, granny's getting wet.' Rowland Rees-Evans, chairman of the Wales Tourism Alliance, says there's no escaping the prevalence of rain. 'It's because we've got more mountainous regions and we're on the west coast. Mind, some visitors actually expect it. I recently heard about some Japanese tourists complaining because they'd gone to Wales and it hadn't rained.' Portia Jones, a Cardiff-based travel writer and host of the Travel Goals Podcast, agrees. 'It's definitely a preconception that it's really rainy. Being Welsh, I think you just embrace it: my mum always said 'Never mind, get your wellies on and get outside.'' Jones points out a major flaw in the Government's scheme. 'What draws most visitors here is the huge, lovely landscapes. Adding a little shelter won't help if you're coming for a beach day or a mountain walk. You can't say to the kids 'Just sit under this canopy and look at the sea, but you can't go in'.' Rees-Evans, who is the director of golf and leisure complex Penrhos Park in Llanrhystud, notes that the grant wouldn't be enough to put substantial weather proofing or new structures in place, unless you've already got an ongoing project and can put the money towards it. But in the current challenging circumstances for Wales's visitor economy, it's difficult to commit large sums. He might be tempted to add a canopy to the driving range at Penrhos, he says, 'but if that costs you £40,000, the grant is nice but you might not want to spend all that at the moment'. Porter also questions what kind of shelter would actually work. 'We specialise in sideways rain here! I hope that shelter has got sides and heating. The weather can be wild, so something flimsy is just not going to hold up.' Anna Thomson, a charity worker from London whose family regularly holidays in Wales, has many vivid memories of incessant Welsh rain. 'It's been our chosen spot for about a century. My husband's family has been coming to Pembrokeshire for decades, and he talks about sleeping in bunk beds in a shed in the garden of old family friends hearing the rain on the rooftop. It's become a running joke – we just assume it will rain – and obviously you get an absolute downpours. But Welsh rain is different it's like a cloud has landed on top of you. Welsh rain doesn't just fall: it envelops. Umbrellas and raincoats are pointless as it dwells in the air and sweeps into every pore from every direction.' Thomson is baffled as to how a modest structure or cover could possibly help. 'Fat lot of good a pergola would do,' she proclaims. 'I think it's a potty idea. The whole thing is wildly optimistic.' However, she also says that they've never been put off Wales by a bad weather forecast. If it rains she and her husband take their children, aged 10 and 12, to look at a church or Pembroke Castle. 'I can't see this scheme changing anyone's mind really. You either take the weather in stride or you don't.' Fellow holidaymaker and keen hiker Jonathan Woodward, a marketing manager from Bristol, has had his fair share of wet weather in the valleys, but likewise can't see the return on this sizeable investment. 'I love going to Wales because it's a chance to get immersed in a wild, tranquil landscape,' he says. 'I can't think of anything worse than having some eyesore tent or bus shelter erected in the midst of that natural beauty. If it's really chucking it down, you either tough it out or you go dry off in front of the fire in a lovely pub. Any sort of in between measure seems bonkers to me.' Besides, argues Rees-Evans, is this really top priority? There are surely more significant ways in which the Government could be helping – or at least not hindering – the struggling tourist industry. 'The National Insurance increase on employers has put everyone on the back foot. So has the visitor levy, and the new holiday let tax rule saying you can only be eligible for business rates if you let the property for 182 nights or more, otherwise it reverts to council tax. It's having a huge impact on us.' Thomson's parents-in-law ultimately sold their holiday home because they fell into that double council tax trap.
