How The Tourist Industry will once again be booming in Wales
Covid-19 is currently presenting a challenge for those in Tourism, but once lockdown is lifted, we can expect tourism to quickly boom again. The tourism industry is a great asset for Wales, with the sector making nearly £5 billion every year. There is more to visiting the country than just seeing the capital city, with some spots in Wales becoming hugely popular due to the successful television shows that have been filmed in locations.
Around 8% of the country’s population is employed in the tourist industry, with over 100,000 jobs in the service sector. The sights that visitors can expect to see include hiking trails, historical attractions and museums. The industry is continuing to thrive year-on-year, with £410 million being spent by visitors in 2015. It is becoming a hugely popular location for residents of Great Britain to visit, with the recent Wales Tourism Performance report highlighting that there was an 11% increase on visitors from the UK in 2018.
What Sights Are There To See?
Visitors to Wales can expect to see more than just Cardiff, as there are a variety of hidden gems around the country according to WeLoveBrum.co.uk. Just some of the hidden gems that visitors can expect to see include Blue Pool Bay in Gower and Pentre Ifan in Nevern. Of course, Cardiff is one of the most lucrative tourist hotspots in Wales, with over 14 million visitors every year. The number of tourists means that there are an extensive number of jobs in the capital with over 26,000 people being employed in the sector in Cardiff alone.
However, Cardiff isn’t the most lucrative location in the country, with the capital third on the list for areas that tourists spend the most money. Gwynedd and Conwy are both above Cardiff in that list. When it comes to active sights that fans travel to Wales to see, then there is no disputing that Snowdon is the most popular. The walking destination allows visitors to climb to the summit, which is the highest in the United Kingdom outside of Scotland.
Successful Television Shows Impacting Sector
When it comes to television shows that have added a new life into the tourism sector, it’s impossible to look past the effect that Gavin and Stacey has had on Barry Island. It has been revealed that the show completely turned around the fortunes of the tourism in the area, with the locals around the area being visited by fans of the show throughout the year. That sentiment was echoed by Marco Zeraschi, who owned the café that Stacey worked at in the show.
He admitted that the show has had a profound effect, and has helped the area transform and redevelop. The show originally ran between 2007 and 2010 but returned in 2019 with a Christmas special. Videos online showed fans flocking to Barry to watch the episode be filmed, and there could now be a second wave of tourism in Barry after lockdown due to the new demographic that has been reached by the show’s comeback.