Happy Birthday Wales Coast Path
6 May 2014 01:40 PM
Culture and Sport Minister, John Griffiths AM,
joined walkers on a Ramblers Cymru Big Welsh Walk at Southerndown Beach in the
Vale of Glamorgan recently for a special celebration to mark the second
anniversary of the opening of the Wales Coast Path and to launch the third Big
Welsh Walk.
The
anniversary also saw the start of the Love the Welsh Coast campaign, run in
partnership with Natural Resources Wales. The campaign is a month long
programme of walks and other events to highlight the Wales Coast Path and
attract visitors to the coast. Information about the campaign can be found on
the Wales Coast Path website or by using the hashtag #lovethewelshcoast on
Twitter.
The
Big Welsh Walk consists of hundreds of led walks, run by local Ramblers groups,
Lets Walk Cymru groups and partners such as CADW & Wildlife Trusts, which
the public can join throughout May. As part of Love the Welsh Coast, many of
these walks will take place along the coast path.
Developed by the Welsh Government in partnership with
Natural Resources Wales, sixteen local authorities and two National Parks and
opened in May 2012, the 870 mile Wales Coast Path is the first path in the
world to run right along the coastline of a country. In the year running up to
September 2013 the path attracted 2.82 million visitors and provided a
£32.3m economic boost to coastal towns and villages across Wales.
The
Welsh Government invested £1.15million in 2013/14 to ensure the Wales
Coast Path is of consistently high quality and will spend the same amount on
upkeep and improvements in 2014/5. This builds on Welsh Government investment
of up to £2 million a year between 2007 and 2013 which resulted in the
opening of the path.
The
Minister said:
"Wales is blessed with a beautiful coastline, made
up of the rugged cliffs and world renowned beaches and picturesque promenades,
towns and villages with many interesting sights such as castles, churches and
cathedrals dotted along the way. The development of the Wales Coast Path is
already providing a boost to local economies around our coastline and is
attracting thousands of visitors to Wales. The work going on to maintain and
improve the path will only increase the number of visitors and the economic
benefits in future.
"Walking parts of the path is a free and enjoyable
way of increasing physical activity and maintaining a healthier lifestyle.
I'd like to wish the Wales Coast Path a very happy second birthday and
would urge everybody to get out and explore their local coastline and take
advantage of what's on our doorstep!"
Angela Charlton, Director of Ramblers Cymru,
said:
“We’d like to thank John Griffiths AM for
helping us to launch our Big Welsh Walk. We want people to head out on walks
all around Wales during May and experience the many benefits walking has to
offer. Whether you are a keen walker or someone wanting to take their first
steps into the activity, we have something suitable for everyone. People in
Wales are just two feet away from a fabulous Big Welsh
Walk.”
Emyr Roberts, Chief Executive of Natural Resources
Wales, which manages the Wales Coast Path, said:
“In the first two years since it opened in May
2012, the Wales Coast Path has made a significant contribution to the Welsh
economy and captured the imagination of the nation. There are excellent
recreational opportunities along the path that are available for local people
and the visitors who come to explore, showcasing the diversity of the landscape
and habitats along our coastline.
“Natural Resources Wales looks forward to
continuing to work with our partners to develop this iconic attraction,
improving access to our wonderful coastline and countryside and benefitting the
Welsh economy. We would urge people to use this great resource and
#lovethewelshcoast throughout May and beyond.”