Lord Bourne: “Wales is harnessing the appeal of its cultural and heritage attractions to benefit its communities”
UK Government Minister in visit to North Wales tourism hotspots
From its world-renowned castles to our home-grown theatre productions, UK Government Minister Lord Bourne will see first-hand the crucial contribution the North Wales tourism and culture industries makes to the Welsh economy today (26 January).
The Minister will visit Rhyl’s Sea Quarium and attend further business meetings in other tourism destinations in North East Wales, as the latest tourism figures reveal the number of overseas visits to Wales are on the rise.
Lord Bourne said:
Tourism is big business in Wales and our outstanding attractions are regularly highlighted as some of the best places in the world to visit.
It is encouraging to see how North Wales is harnessing the appeal of its cultural and heritage attractions to benefit communities right across the country.
The visit comes as the latest tourism figures reveal there were 909,000 overseas visits to Wales from January to September last year, up 6% compared to the same time in 2016. Visitors to Wales also spent £337 million, boosting the Welsh economy.
Lord Bourne added:
Tourism is one of the UK’s most valuable export industries.
It is also a fiercely competitive global industry and these results not only demonstrate Wales’ continued ability to compete internationally for visitors, they are testament to tourism’s importance as a driver of economic growth.