A new director is to take charge at the once-threatened National Botanic Garden of Wales with the task of continuing to increase visitor numbers and income. Kevin Lamb will join the garden from At Bristol, a �97m science and nature centre on the city's harbour side.
Three years ago, the �43m attraction in Carmarthenshire was within hours of having to call in administrators.
A plan based on better marketing and extra visitor activities has started the turn around in its fortunes.
Mr Lamb will take over from the garden's interim chief executive Roy Thomas, who is credited by the garden's trustees with improving the garden's prospects .
Chairman Robin Lewis said: "There are two key factors that face us and most visitor attractions - there is the number of people who come in through the door and there is how much they spend once they have come in.
"Both the numbers and what we call spend per head have been good and we just have to keep on building up the momentum so we can meet our targets.
"You would be surprised how many people have said to me, 'I went to the garden when it was first opened and there was nothing but a few sticks in the ground - it was awfully dull and I've never been back'.
"The key to growing visitor numbers is to have a place where there is always something developing and going on.
"The garden has been quite successful in the last 18 months in developing that ethos."
When it was opened by Prince Charles in 2000 its business plan was to attract more than 200,000 visitors a year.
 | GARDEN VISITOR NUMBERS 2000/1: 204,302 2001/2: 192,362 2002/3: 142,347 2003/4: 138,485 2004/5: 102,035 2005/6: 109,467 2006/7 (target): 130,000 Apr 06 - Sept 06: 93,860 Source: Botanic Garden |
That target was reached in the first 12 months, but by 2004 - around the time it almost closed - numbers only just crept over 100,000.
The assembly government, Carmarthenshire Council and Millennium Commission came to the rescue at the eleventh hour on the understanding there would be a change in management and direction.
This year the garden looks set to beat its target of 130,000 visitors, supporting an assembly audit committee report which found it was now on a firmer financial footing.
"Looking at the figures, they did very well in the first year and then it fell off," added Mr Lewis.
"If you look at the website for Kew Gardens - on the front page it says it is one of the major visitor attractions in south-east England.
"Every institution of this type has to be a visitor attraction - no matter how distinguished it is in terms of science."
Mr Lamb, currently director of income and visitor operations at At Bristol, takes up his post in January and will oversee a number of new developments, including a new tropical glasshouse.
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Every institution of this type has to be a visitor attraction - no matter how distinguished it is in terms of science
