The strategy will set the vision for the industry and Welsh Government to work in partnership to increase visitor spend to Wales.
The Minister said:
“The time is right to set a new direction for tourism in Wales that will support growth in the sector during the coming years and which reflects the changing internal and external influences affecting the industry. I asked the Tourism Sector Panel to prepare a refreshed strategy and action plan. I have accepted the Panel’s final recommendations and today I am launching Wales’s new Tourism Strategy for 2013-2020.”
Visit Wales has engaged with more than 1000 individuals, operators and businesses across Wales from all sectors of the industry to seek their views on the future of tourism in Wales.
The Minister said:
"Partnership has been clearly identified as the key to delivering on the strategy and action plan. To help with this, I am announcing that my Tourism Sector Panel will now become the Wales Tourism Advisory Board with increased engagement and visibility with the industry and stakeholders.”
In summary, the new strategy will mean focusing upon five key areas – Promoting the Brand, Product Development, People Development, Profitable Performance and Place Building.
The strategy identifies a product led approach to developing and marketing tourism in Wales, which means working with iconic, high quality, reputation-changing products and events. There will be a focus on more luxury and branded hotels; more well-being facilities such as spas; more heritage hotels that utilise historic and distinctive buildings; more all year round attractions, activities and cultural experiences; more innovative, unusual and distinctive products.
The GB domestic market is the main market for Wales and will continue to be the main focus. Marketing activity will be increased in London and South East Midlands and Yorkshire, as well as within Wales itself for the first time. Overseas, the three key markets identified by the panel are Ireland, Germany and USA.
The Minister said:
“Our aim through the strategy is to grow tourism earnings for the Welsh economy. However, the level to which this can be achieved will depend on underlying market conditions in an increasingly competitive marketplace. This is why the growth figure has been set at a target of 10% for the tourism industry up until 2020.
“This isn’t a growth target for the Welsh Government but for the industry as a whole. This is a challenging yet realistic and achievable target, taking into consideration these tough economic conditions and bearing in mind that the negative economic climate in some of our key generating markets would also make growth difficult.”
Dan Clayton Jones, chair of the Wales Tourism Advisory Board, said,
“We look forward to working with the Minister, tourism industry and Visit Wales on this strategy and detailed action plan to deliver growth for tourism in Wales. Our key to delivering growth during these difficult times will be working in partnership to maximise resources and intelligence and working together to make Wales a stronger tourism destination.”
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