Poll 'backs early tourism boost'

Conwy Castle saw a 65% rise in visitor numbers on last Easter

Good weather and last-minute Easter bookings helped Wales' tourist industry to a good start to the 2009 holiday season, a survey suggests.

Despite fewer pre-bookings, 73% of attractions reported an increase in visitor numbers on Easter last year, the poll by Visit Wales found.

The survey indicated that around 83% of the industry feels very or fairly confident for the season ahead.

Heritage minister Alun Ffred Jones said the figures were "a confidence boost".

The survey, based on 209 telephone interviews with business owners from all sectors of the tourism industry in all four regions, found that 41% of businesses had increased their guest/visitor numbers on Easter 2008.

Nearly half (44%) reported the same number as last year, while only a minority (13%) said they had experienced a decrease.

There is some evidence that more people are choosing to holiday in Wales or other parts of UK rather than going abroad. Alun Ffred Jones, heritage minister

With Easter falling later this year, the main reason recorded for the successful period was good weather.

More than 42% of business reported that their turnover had increased for the period and 36% achieved the same level of turnover as last year.

The figures also showed that the Easter period was good for Cadw sites across Wales, with visitor numbers up from 24,000 last year to 37,000 this year.

In North Wales, Conwy Castle reported an increase in visitor numbers from 3,750 in 2008 to 5,850 in 2009, a spokesperson reported.

Cadw said its 25th anniversary events programme, which started at many of Cadw's attractions over the weekend, had helped to pull in the crowds.

Folly Farm's new attractions arrived just in time

In Pembrokeshire, Folly Farm adventure park and zoo reported a 40% increase on visitor figures on Easter 2008.

Chris Ebsworth, managing director described the Easter period as "phenomenal".

"It was very very good," he said. "I think we beat every single record we had. Last year Easter was earlier and the weather wasn't so good, but we are still up 18% on 2007 when Easter was late and the weather was okay."

Mr Ebsworth attributed the rise in figures to the well-publicised arrival at Folly Farm of a number of giraffes, as well as people opting to holiday at home rather than abroad during the economic downturn.

He added: "Interestingly the spend per head was slightly up as well."

With research in March indicating that advance bookings for Easter were slightly down, Visit Wales attributed the Easter upturn to the fact that 37% more people booked last minute this year compared with 2008.

The organisation said this was a trend which many operators expected to continue throughout the summer.

Heritage Minister, Alun Ffred Jones said he was very pleased with the "good" start to the tourism season.

He said: "There is some evidence that more people are choosing to holiday in Wales or other parts of UK rather than going abroad. This could be due, in part, to families having less disposable income and as a result of the unfavourable exchange rates.

"I'm also confident that people are aware that our tourism industry is working hard to improve the experience of visitors."

The minister added: "Although one good weekend doesn't make a good season - it has certainly given the industry a boost in confidence for the summer which lies ahead."

Campaign

Julian Burrell, chair of the Wales Tourism Alliance, commented: "The mostly excellent weather over Easter encouraged last minute bookings and we will need to continue this pattern throughout the season."

Visit Wales added that its marketing campaign was showing positive results, saying research also indicated that more people remembered seeing a Wales advert or promotion than for any other UK destination.

A spokesperson said: "TV advertising is being well recalled with 36% of the UK population claiming to have seen the advertising which is having a positive affect on the number of enquiries. 52% of people enquiring about a holiday in Wales state they have seen the advert.

"This early success doesn't mean that we can now rest on our laurels, Visit Wales will be adjusting this year's budgets in order to extend the current UK campaign, including some TV advertising, into the early summer period."

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