Wales' mixed Bank Holiday weather leaves business owners worried about trade

Business owners across Wales have been counting the cost of the mixed weather this Bank Holiday as rain and cooler temperatures may have turned visitors away from seaside resorts.

Research released by the Welsh government earlier this year found that more than a third of Welsh tourism businesses had fewer customers this June compared to last year.

Poor weather had been flagged as a top concern among business owners in the tourism sector, according to the Wales Tourism Business Barometer 2024.

Giovanni Zeraschi, a business owner in Barry Island, told ITV Wales on Monday that the weather is "all-important."

He said: "You've got to get the sunny, warm weather...

"If it's blowing a gale, pouring with rain, then you just know you cut down on the staff, you've got to cut down on the costs, and you know you've got to have a very short working day...

"And obviously that affects the income."

It has been a "rocky" start to the year for many businesses, according to Nicky Williamson of Wales Tourism Alliance.

She said there was a "huge amount of emphasis" on this Bank Holiday as a final push for trade before the winter.

The slow start to the year is reflected across all four regions of Wales, with other seaside resorts like Llandudno also likely to be impacted by the gloomy summer weather.

Bad forecasts can lead to not only a lack of last minute bookings, but also the cancellation of existing bookings.

42% of caravan parks in Wales say they have been particularly concerned about the weather, according to the Wales Tourism Business Barometer.

The latest research shows attractions have been the best performing sector, with 25% having more customers this year to date than last year and 23% having fewer.

At the other end of the scale, self-catering operators have had a challenging year to date, with 12% having more customers than last year but 48% having fewer.

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