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UKtourism is still struggling to recover four years after the global Covid-19 pandemic, with the country facing a £2.8 billion shortfall in tourist spending and the number of overseas visitors still not back to pre-pandemic levels.
More than four years since the UK was plunged into an unexpected lockdown during the global pandemic and travel was severely restricted, the country has been unable to restore its all-important tourist industry. There were around 38 million overseas tourists visiting the UK last year, and while this figure has considerably increased for two consecutive years, it remains 7.1 per cent short of 2019’s tourist figure of 40.9m visitors, ONS data analysis from the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) shows. For more details follow this link to the Independent article.
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Ambitious plans for a Visitor Levy in Edinburgh took another significant step forward this week as councillors agreed key details of the draft scheme.
It is anticipated that the levy will generate tens of millions of pounds a year to reinvest in the city’s infrastructure and sustainable tourism from summer 2026. A formal 12-week public consultation seeking further input from residents, visitors and businesses, will commence in the coming weeks. This will inform the final scheme, which will be agreed in January 2025, allowing the 18-month implementation period to begin. Find out more here. With the UK peak holiday season well underway, the 15 UK National Parks have launched a new vision for regenerative tourism in an effort to safeguard some of the country’s most popular outdoor destinations, while ensuring they remain accessible to all.
For many years UK National Park Authorities, charged with looking after our most precious landscapes and making them accessible to all, have led on the development and promotion of sustainable tourism within their respective National Parks. This new shared vision shifts the focus to ‘regenerative tourism’, moving from a position of tourism ‘doing less harm’ to ‘helping give back more than it takes’. Find out more here. WTA Chairman, Suzy Davies is one of a group of tourism leaders calling for an urgent meeting with Deputy First Minister Huw Iranca-Davies and regional Members of the Senedd and MPs to discuss way of saving three Natural Resources Wales (NRW) visitor centres.
The NRW is planning to close their centres at Bwlch Nant yr Arian and Ynyslas near Aberystwyth, and Coed y Brenin near Dolgellau with the loss of around 260 jobs to address a £13 million budget shortfall. Suzy, along with Zoe Hawkins, chief executive of MWT Cymru, and Steve Hughson, Mid Wales Tourism Forum chairman, is calling for an urgent meeting with politicians and the NRW. They are seeking a solution to save the visitor centres, whether it requires a U-turn by the NRW, extra funding from the Welsh Government or finding different operators to keep the doors open. They insist that the centres must remain open until a solution is found. For more details click here. Business News Wales has announced revised deadlines for the Welsh Regional Tourism Awards.
The categories for the National Tourism Awards 2025 are:
To enter and for further information, please use the links below depending on location: South West Wales:
The Welsh Government is seeking responses to it consultation on the draft Priorities for Culture. The draft document focuses on three main priorities:
These priorities are supported by a further twenty ambitions. This consultation is relevant to the entire culture sector in Wales, from national organisations to grassroots projects, many of which will be relevant to the tourism and hospitality sector. The closing date for submissions is 4 September 2024. The Consultation can be found online here.   Registrations are now open for Small Business Britain's September's instalment of the Small and Mighty Enterprise Programme. This six-week programme aims to supercharge sole traders and micro businesses, and help small businesses grow with expert guidance and mentoring. The course concludes with a growth plan to support the next year of business opportunity, and an in-person event will also be held to celebrate the achievements of the participants and the goals of the programme. The programme is completely free and will be delivered entirely online, allowing access from anywhere in the UK with flexible learning enabling opportunities for all. For further information please select the following link: Small Business Britain | Champion. Inspire. Accelerate.  The Find a Grant service offers a free central place on GOV.UK for business, individuals and organisations to find and apply for UK government grants. You can use this service to:
Working out where to go to find finance and choosing the right type can be tricky. Business Wales finance area is here to help Finding Finance | Business Wales (gov.wales)  Unfortunately, according to Natural Resources Wales, there has been a decline in Dŵr Cymru performance outlined in their annual review.
NRW has published their 2023 performance reports for the two water companies operating in Wales, Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water and Hafren Dyfrdwy. It highlights the worst performance from Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water against the metrics measured against, which are standardised in England and Wales. While Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water will stay at two-star (company requires improvement) rating this year, NRW has issued a stark warning to the company that it needs to turn the tables on its downward performance trends. Clare Pillman, our Chief Executive said: “Despite increased pressure from ourselves as regulators, and from politicians and the public, Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water have failed to make the kind of improvements we want and expect to see. “It is unacceptable that we are now seeing a year-on-year increase in significant pollution incidents, at a time where so much is being invested in improving our rivers and water quality for nature and people." Due to its small operating area, Hafren Dyfrdwy does not receive a star rating from us, however similar measures are used to assess the company’s performance. Clare Pillman added: “While there are always improvements to make, we are pleased to report that Hafren Dyfrdwy’s performance has improved from last year." Ambitious new project launched to help restore the beloved River Wye A new project has been launched to help restore the upper reaches of the River Wye, one of the UK’s most cherished rivers. Funded by the Welsh Government, the project focuses on the Wye catchment upstream of Hay-on-Wye, with goals to protect species and improve habitats by tackling various pressures impacting the river. Enhancements in the upper catchment will benefit the entire river system. The project represents a significant step in our commitment to environmental stewardship, aiming to safeguard the River Wye’s unique biodiversity for future generations. Susie Tudge, Team Leader of the Upper Wye Catchment Restoration Project said: “Launching the project has been a long time coming and I’m delighted that we are now up and running. “We all have our role to play in improving the local environment, and this project is one of NRW’s major contributions to the cause. “Working together, we can make a major change in how the catchment looks. This will benefit everyone, including the local environment and wildlife.  Further to being sworn in as First Minister to the Welsh Government at the Senedd yesterday, Eluned Morgan has made the following statement in appointing her Cabinet:
I am today pleased to announce appointments to the Ministerial team and Counsel General Designate. I confirm Huw Irranca-Davies in the role of Deputy First Minister in addition to his Climate Change and Rural Affairs Portfolio. As Deputy First Minister, Huw will support me in my role as First Minister and will work alongside me to deliver for the people for Wales. I have asked Mark Drakeford, Member for Cardiff West, to join the Ministerial team as Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care on an interim basis. Mark will bring his significant knowledge and experience to bear to continue our work to improve transparency and delivery. I will retain responsibility for the Welsh Language. I have also today designated Elisabeth Jones under section 49(6) of the Government of Wales Act 2006 to exercise the functions of the Counsel General on an interim basis, in accordance with the provisions of that section. Elisabeth was the Chief Legal Adviser for the National Assembly for Wales and Senedd from 2012 – 2019. The appointments I am announcing today will provide stability and continuity over the summer in the Ministerial team, complementing the changes announced on 17 July 2024:
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