Cultivate tourism to bring in the cash, says Heritage Minister

Feb 27 2008 by David Williamson, Western Mail

BRITISH visitors to Wales’ cultural attractions have injected £120m into the country’s economy, Heritage Minister Rhodri Glyn Thomas revealed yesterday.

The figures were revealed amid fresh pledges to make cultural activities a central part of tourism in Wales.

It was announced yesterday that admission charges to the Blaenavon Ironworks will be scrapped from March 21.

Heritage agency Cadw is taking over the management of the site, one of the landmarks of the industrial revolution.

Mr Thomas said such sites of cultural significance would be crucial in driving forward the tourism sector.

He said, “The culture of Wales should become a core component of the visitor experience and we must make it easier for our visitors to be able to access and appreciate these experiences.”

He said visits to Wales for cultural activities – such as sporting events, galleries and food festivals – by UK residents alone, injected £120m into the economy.

An independent review of cultural tourism will be published shortly.

An announcement will also be made about the One Wales coalition pledge to give Welsh pensioners and children free entry to Assembly-funded heritage sites.

Tourism contributes £3.5bn to the Welsh economy, supporting more than 90,000 jobs – nearly 9% of the workforce.

Around 90% of the tourist spend comes from UK tourists but the overseas market has grown from £248m in 2001 to £358m in 2006, an increase of 44%.

National Trust sites are visited by 800,000 people a year. Mr Thomas acknowledged competition for tourists had increased in recent years.

He said, “If Wales does not offer something that’s different which emphasises our values as a nation it will be exceptionally difficult for Wales to compete with these other nations.”

The arts and cultural industries in Wales generate more than £1.1bn a year. Across Europe, cultural tourism is predicted to grow at 15% a year.

Commenting on the decision to end admission charges to the ironworks, Mr Thomas said attractions should work closer together.

He said, “This decision supports our commitment to developing an integrated tourism strategy and ensuring that the different tourism partner organisations in Wales work together. Very few destinations are truly differentiating themselves from one another.

“We must therefore use Wales’s cultural assets to set Wales apart from our competitors.”