Written question WQ86008

Visit Wales regularly promotes all parts of Wales and its wide range of destinations via its marketing channels, including social media channels and the Visit Wales website.

The Visit Wales autumn campaign launched in the first week of September, encouraging visitors to Wales over the shoulder season. North Wales will once again feature in activity. This will include a large-scale digital campaign, TV advertising, video on demand, print advertising and more. A number of North Wales destinations and activities will be showcased, including mountain biking in Blaenau Ffestiniog, Zip World adventures at Penrhyn and Llechwedd, and many others.

Other activities include promotion of events such as Focus Wales, in May, the Anglesey Agricultural Show, Sioe Môn, Sesiwn Fawr Dolgellau, Beddgelert, Conwy, Llandudno and Llechwedd on social channels recently. This is alongside new content on the Visit Wales website, which includes Wrexham, accessible adventures across Wales, educational and learning experiences featuring Nant Gwrtheyrn and many others.

North Wales Tourism will be alongside a Visit Wales representative selling the region to the Japanese market and featuring in a familiarisation visit that follows the Tourism Expo Japan event this month. North Wales is profiled at all international events, with products and destinations being given prominence in key markets. That work is complemented by Visit Wales’ work with Marketing Manchester, a partnership designed specifically to ensure that North Wales is included in its itineraries and activity due the city’s gateway nature for many international visitors to North Wales.

Travel trade activity also features North Wales prominently and as well as new website content and mailings to operators including features on Llangollen and other destinations, the WHS slate landscape has been a focus for work, particularly internationally.

We have supported several projects in North Wales which have delivered opportunities for the local economy. The following projects in North Wales have been awarded funding from this year’s Brilliant Basics fund to help deliver small-scale infrastructure improvements in key tourism locations:

• Conwy Council has been offered a grant of £32,000 to provide seating on the recently refurbished pier to improve the experience for visitors and provide much needed seating for those with accessibility issues.

• Conwy Council has also been offered funding of £21,200 for Improvements to maps, signage and visitor information in Conwy and Llandudno.

• Gwynedd Council has been offered £240,000 towards their 'Aros-fan' project, which will upgrade assets such as public car parks in 6 destinations across Gwynedd to develop a network of locations that will create legitimate provision for 'overnight' parking and sleeping throughout the year for the purpose of motor homes in Gwynedd.

• Gwynedd Council has also been offered £250,000 for Parc Gwledig Padarn, Llanberis. This project will make improvements to the car park at Glyn area and include EV charging points, cycle shelters, outdoor equipment washing area and groundworks.

• Denbighshire County Council has been offered £200,000 towards enhancements to Riverside Park, Llangollen. Improvements will be made to this popular destination and include mini golf, play equipment, green Infrastructure including E-bike charging points, water play infrastructure, bandstand seating, interpretation boards and ramped access between levels of the park.

• Flintshire Council has been awarded £196,000 for the ‘Parks for All’ project to upgrade and improve amenities for both visitors and the local communities at Wepre Country Park and Greenfield Valley, two of Flintshire's most popular heritage green spaces. Facilities will include improved toilet provision, including a Changing Places toilets and accessible play equipment.

• Anglesey County Council has been awarded £248,000 towards the Môn Coastal Gateways project, which will support the delivery of the Môn Coastal Gateways project which includes EV charging points, electric bike chargers, bicycle storage and improvements to infrastructure works including digital Interpretation and recycling facilities.

• Snowdonia National Park Authority has been offered £72,000 for improvements to Morfa Mawddach, Gwynedd. The project will see much needed improvements to this popular site and includes car park improvements, refurbishment of the public toilet facilities, EV and bike charge points.

The Welsh Whisky Company (Penderyn) has been supported by the Welsh Government with £799,000 from the former Tourism Investment Support Scheme through grant and part repayable funding to the visitor centre element at the Llandudno site. A further £658k was awarded through the EU supported Food Business Investment Fund, to the production facility, bringing the total funding to just over £1.4m, against a £5.1m cost. Focus will continue in supporting quality experiences, accommodation and place building. This project brings a further all year-round attraction in Llandudno and adds value and difference to this coastal resort. It opened in June 2021.

Beaches Hotel, Prestatyn, has been supported through the Wales Tourism Investment Fund (WTIF) award to upgrade to a four-star hotel. Support was a mix of a £420,000 loan and £105,000 grant.

Hilton Garden Inn, Adventure Parc, a 106-bedroom hotel was opened alongside the existing adventure parc at Dolgarrog (formerly Surf Snowdonia). This was supported with £3.2m in funding from Welsh Government and forms part of the focus to build the adventure brand across the North Wales region.