Future of Wales' tourist caves '50-50' as underground attractions told they can reopen from Saturday
The future of some of Wales' biggest tourist caves is "very much in the balance" after the Welsh Government announced underground attractions could reopen.
During a press conference on Tuesday, the health minister said underground attractions could reopen from Saturday 25 July, meaning all visitor attractions in Wales are allowed to open.
But with less than six weeks of its peak season left, a tourist cave owner said his attraction must make enough money in order to survive until next year.
"Once children are back at school in September, attraction figures tend to take a nose dive," National Showcaves Centre for Wales Director Ashford Price said.
"We’ve got through two world wars, numerous depressions and recessions, but this is the closest we’ve got to not surviving."
The attraction closed for the winter in October last year and had been preparing to reopen in Easter, spending money on new lighting, dinosaurs and improving the visitor experience.
Tourist caves across England reopened earlier this month.
The Welsh Conservatives’ Shadow Minister for Climate Change, Energy and Rural Affairs has been petitioning for the Welsh Government to allow show caves to reopen.
Janet Finch-Saunders MS said: “Showcaves are not like coal mines, copper mines, lead mines or slate quarries.
"They are entirely natural and have air currents that are continuously being circulated and vented through the limestone's natural jointing systems.
“The widespread cancellation of bookings made by tour groups at such anchor attractions in Wales is set to have a detrimental impact on the Wales wide tourist sector."
Staff at Dan-Yr-Ogof are now getting ready to reopen in a few days time, including the cave's security dog.
Ffion the 10-year-old Labrador helps the security team check the caves to make sure they are clear of visitors prior to locking up for the night.
Ashford Price said: "Ffion had been doggy ‘furloughed’ for nearly four months so we wondered if she would remember her security duties.
"However, after only a few minutes she was running around the caves looking very pleased with herself, and was obviously glad to be back as part of our team at Dan Yr Ogof."
Tourism in Wales has suffered as a result of the pandemic, with industry bosses warning it was on the "brink of collapse" in June.
Despite all visitor attractions being allowed to reopen from Saturday, not all of them can.
Britain's smallest house, situated in Conwy, north Wales, cannot reopen because it is too small to allow for social distancing.
Visitors will be allowed to stand outside the 10ft by 5.9ft former fisherman's cottage but cannot go in for a tour.
Tour guide Amanda Whitehead has decided to offer socially distanced tours of the town using walkie-talkies.
She said: “Instead of complaining about what has happened I have put my energy into being creative and doing something new.
“I can now run socially distanced tours in the town and will expand this to a walls tour and food tour once we are able to. I think there are a lot of people who want to know more about the town."