Wales 'significantly underperforms' promoting itself overseas according to new report
These Australians visiting Conwy told ITV News while they love Wales, they hadn't really heard about it before
With its beautiful beaches, captivating castles and magnificent mountain ranges - it begs the question why wouldn't anyone want to visit Wales?
Tourism makes a huge contribution to the Welsh economy, providing jobs for around 12% of the Welsh workforce.
But according to a new report by a group of MPs - put simply, not enough is being done to get more people from abroad choosing Wales when they're booking their next holiday.
It says compared with the rest of the UK, Wales "significantly underperforms" attracting international visitors and there needs to be a big improvement in the way Wales is marketed.
Terry and Karen, who were visiting Conwy from Woodend in Australia, said it was an "accident" that they ended up coming to Wales.
Asked whether they'd seen any adverts about the country before visiting, they told ITV News: "No, none."
"It was basically from talking to people, and they'd go ‘you should really visit Wales’, but it was really never on our plans to visit."
Meanwhile, Lee and Ruth, from Melbourne, said they also had to find out about the country for themselves.
In 2019, of the 41 million international tourists that visited the UK, only one million visited Wales, and of the total amount spent by international tourists, just 2% was spent in Wales.
As a result, The Welsh Affairs Committee says Wales "punches below its weight" in attracting international visitors. It blames poor marketing, tour operators ignoring Wales and challenging transport connections.
It's now called for Wales' tourist board - Visit Wales - to come up with a better strategy by February 2024 to make the country a more desirable destination.
What does the report say is going wrong?
Poor profile - Despite its culture and language, Wales has a relatively low profile abroad compared to England, Scotland and Ireland.
Smarter strategy - It says its marketing strategy must be based on promoting Wales' unique strengths and attractions. It should also be more up to date with trends such as capitalising on a new American audience thanks to Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenny buying Wrexham football club and the subsequent global TV show 'Welcome To Wrexham'. It goes on to suggest adding more visitor attractions closer to Wrexham.
Clever collaboration - It says 'Visit Wales' should be working smarter with Britain's national tourism board 'Visit Britian' to make sure people considering a trip to the UK are exposed to the culture and experiences Wales has to offer. It says Visit Britain 'does not sufficiently promote Wales in its marketing materials' including its website. The Committee was surprised to hear that of those surveyed, 57% of overseas visitors to Wales had not seen any marketing beforehand. The report said tour operators fail to incorporate holidays in Wales in their packages, despite 27% of those tourists surveyed saying that they would consider taking longer trips if holiday packages were available.
Political push - It calls on UK Government bodies responsible for promoting Wales abroad to reflect the distinct identity of each part of the UK in their activities. The report says when the chief executive of 'Visit Britain' is also head of 'Visit England' - it's not convinced Wales is getting an equal amount of promotion and questioned 'Visit Britain's knowledge and expertise of Wales. It also thinks Wales could benefit from a tourist board which has more independence from the Welsh Government
Transport troubles - The report says both the UK and Welsh Governments have to work together to improve transport links in and out of Wales. During its visit to the USA earlier this year, the Welsh Affairs Committee heard that Wales’s poor transport infrastructure is deterring US tourists from considering Wales as a potential destination. It says major tourist attractions such as North Coast Way, Pembrokeshire and Snowdonia are hard to reach without a car, a journey made more challenging with the poor condition and lack of investment in the Welsh road network. It also mentions making rail links to Heathrow airport more accessible for services into Wales.
Tourism tax - It's split opinion since it was conceived but the report draws on concerns the proposed visitor levy may put off international tourists visiting Wales and and a result will make businesses that rely on tourists more at risk. It does say local authorities are best placed to judge whether the levy would have a positive or negative effect and wants the Welsh Government to look-again at the issue
A Visit Wales spokesperson said: “We are pleased to see the report highlight the positive work of Visit Wales in relation to our own marketing, engagement with the tourism industry in Wales, and co-working in the USA.
"We look forward to continuing to work with VisitBritain on how Wales is marketed within VisitBritain’s international campaigns, to tour operators, and in sharing of data with industry – which are crucial components of success in this highly competitive industry.”
The Welsh Conservatives have responded to the report saying: “Tourism accounts for 1-in-7 jobs in Wales, yet Labour Ministers in the Senedd do little to grow or even protect this vital sector of our economy.
“The Labour Government are intent on taxing the tourism industry to oblivion as opposed to enhancing the Welsh offer. A toxic tourism tax and crippling 182-day holiday let regulations are just a taster of what the socialists in Cardiff Bay have in store for Wales.
“The Welsh Conservatives would cancel Labour’s tourism tax plans, make Visit Wales independent of government, reverse Labour’s barmy road building ban and invest in infrastructure so that people can get around our great country.”