Facts & Figs

Tourism in Wales: a snapshot

The Visitor Economy and Tourism Employment

The final report of “The Economic Case for the Visitor Economy” by Deloitte & Oxford Economics published in June 2010 illustrates the importance of tourism to the economy of Wales compared to other parts of the UK. The total contribution in 2009 (which includes impacts through the supply chain, of capital investment and Government expenditure) accounts for £6.2bn of GDP, 13.3% of the total economy - compared to 8.6% in England, 10.4% in Scotland and 4.9% in Northern Ireland. The direct contribution is £2.7bn which equates to 5.8% of Wales GDP compared to 3.9% in England, 4.9% in Scotland and 2.1% in NI.

This report also highlights the importance of tourism to employment in Wales. The total contribution in 2009 accounted for 0.17m jobs in Wales, 12.7% of the total workforce; this compares with 8.3% in England, 10.0% in Scotland and 4.7% in NI. The direct contribution supports around 0.09m jobs, 6.9% of the Wales workforce, considerably higher than the 4.4% figure for England, 4.2% for Scotland and 3.0% for NI.

Although high levels of employment in the Visitor Economy can be found in cities, rural areas are particularly dependent on the sector as it plays a large role in local economies and indeed communities, enhancing the provision of facilities and amenities that are also extensively used by residents as well as visitors. In Wales, the rural economy has a particularly strong link with the Visitor Economy with the share of employees in Conwy estimated by Deloitte to be 16.7% with 15.1% in Pembrokeshire, 13.2% in Ceredigion, 12.2% in Gwynedd and 12.0% in Powys. 25% of all VAT registered businesses in Wales are in the Visitor Economy.

As a stable and dependable industry, tourism also has a vital role in the regeneration of urban communities within Wales; in Swansea for example, the share of employees in the Visitor Economy is now estimated at 8.3%. Tourism has proven itself strongly resilient to the ravages of the current economic downturn. Tourism as an employer, as an economic driver and, perhaps just as significantly, as the custodian of community facilities & opportunities, is paramount and irreplaceable.

Tourism in Wales also has considerable potential for growth with Deloitte forecasting that the Visitor Economy by 2020 will provide a total contribution of 6.9% of the Wales GDP, supporting 188,000 jobs and accounting for 13.7% of total employment.

The Value of UK Tourism

WTA Wales Tourism definitive value report June 2012

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wta_definitive_value_report.pdf