Tourism and hospitality businesses across Mid Wales are being encouraged to work with Visit Wales to bring more international visitors to the region.
 
A sell-out Mid Wales Tourism Conference, held at the Metropole Hotel and Spa, Llandrindod Wells, heard that international tour operators are keen to bring visitors to the region.
 
Recognised for its culture, adventure, landscape, history and heritage, Mid Wales is being marketed by Visit Wales to countries France, Germany, Netherlands, USA and Ireland.
 
“Tour operators need accommodation partners and bookable attractions and experiences in Mid Wales, which have an opportunity to grow international business,” said Val Hawkins, MBE, chief executive of MWT Cymru, which organised the conference.
 
She also encouraged businesses to use the digital platform Tourism Exchange Great Britain and engage with travel media to attract domestic and international visitors.
 
Following the conference, Deputy Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Dawn Bowden said: “Mid Wales Tourism’s Annual Conference followed a series of four well attended Visit Wales Industry Roadshows where we heard from businesses and organisations across Wales.
 
“We see a real opportunity to grow international business to Mid Wales. We know the role that tour operators, tourism media and Tourism Exchange Great Britain can play in generating more potential business, especially internationally, which fits our tourism strategy to support seasonality, spread and spend.
 
“We urge interested Mid Wales providers of accommodation, attractions and experiences to work with Visit Wales and Wales-based operators to attract more international visitors.”
 
Steve Hughson, chairman of both the Mid Wales Regional Tourism Forum and the Event Wales Industry Advisory Group, highlighted the value of events to the Welsh economy, the tourism and hospitality sectors and local communities.
 
In a rallying call to Mid Wales tourism businesses, he added: “We have a hugely successful offer here, so let’s ensure that we build a strong partnership between tourism, hospitality and rural affairs that makes a positive impact on Mid Wales.”
 
The strong link between tourism and farming, and their importance to the Mid Wales economy and local communities, was also emphasised by Mrs Hawkins.
 
She revealed that MWT Cymru, a not for profit company which represents around 600 tourism and hospitality businesses across Powys, Ceredigion and Southern Snowdonia, has secured funding from the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund for an innovative digital project that is at its infancy.
 
The community-focussed project will seek to incentivise shopping in small, independent, town centre businesses across Powys. Partner towns are now being sought for the pilot project.
 
“There is a strong link between tourism and farming in Mid Wales and if one of these sectors struggles, then it impacts local communities,” said Mrs Hawkins. “The visitor economy is very much linked to local economy and we have looked at how we can better support our local communities to become more sustainable.
 
“MWT Cymru has developed a reputation for being ahead of the game in terms of technology and I would like to think we are doing the same again with this new project which will help not just the tourism industry but small, independent businesses in local towns as well.”
 
Other speakers at the conference, themed ‘Embracing Tomorrow's Tourism: Communities, Innovation and Business’, included Guy Edwards, manager of MWT Cymru’s new project and Charles Symons, co-founder of Buzzmint, who spoke about the opportunities for empowering connected communities and circular economies using Web 3.0.
 
In a section titled ‘Empowering businesses with practical solutions’, Rhys Mullan from Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, spoke about fire safety law, Ruth Partridge, WRAP Cymru project manager, spoke about recycling and waste management law changes and Gareth Jones, chartered accountant, spoke about revenue management with some cost saving advice.
 
MWT Cymru chairman Rowland Rees-Evans congratulated Mrs Hawkins on being awarded an MBE in the King’s Birthday Honours and thanked her for her hard work for the company over the past 24 years.

Tourism leaders have called on Welsh Government ministers to listen to the industry when developing policies that will impact businesses.
 
The call came from Wales Tourism Alliance (WTA) chairman Suzy Davies and Steve Hughson, chairman of both the Mid Wales Regional Tourism Forum and the Event Wales Industry Advisory Group, when speaking at the Mid Wales Tourism Conference.
 
The sell-out conference, which attracted 120 delegates as well as exhibitors and sponsors, was held at the Metropole Hotel and Spa, Llandrindod Wells. The event was organised by MWT Cymru, an independent organisation representing around 600 tourism and hospitality businesses across Powys, Ceredigion and Southern Snowdonia.
 
Mrs Davies said the WTA, which represents around 6,000 businesses in all sectors of tourism industry across Wales, was working with others to restore the industry’s relationship with the Welsh Government.
 
There had been a breakdown in communications stemming from the introduction of the 182-day rule for self-catering accommodation in Wales. Self-catering accommodation that fails to be occupied for 182 days of the year now risks paying much higher council tax.
 
The WTA has been talking to the Welsh Government about the impact of the 182-day rule, a tourism tax and statutory registration of tourism accommodation, but Mrs Davies said it had not been listening and businesses had lost faith in the consultation processes.
 
“The current engagement structures don’t work for either the Welsh Government or the tourism industry,” she added. “The  industry must be in the room when the Welsh Government shapes and designs policy and we need to be listened to.”
 
She said there were signs that the Welsh Government was now beginning to listen to the industry’s collective voice, as a review of the 182-day rule had been promised and the tourism tax had been delayed until 2027.
 
“There is now a much better understanding of what we have been all saying for the past 18 months,” she added. “We must never find ourselves in this position again which is why we have organised a symposium in Newtown in January and we hope the Welsh Government will attend.”
 
Mr Hughson also stressed the importance of a united tourism industry working closely with the Welsh Government to influence and shape policies to ensure that they work well when introduced.
 
“We can get the Welsh Government and Visit Wales to change, so long as we work in partnership in a polite, respectful and evidence-based way,” he said. “It has never been more important that we work together.”
 
Regional tourism forums across Wales had an important role in making Welsh Government ministers in different policy areas aware of the cumulative effect of their policies on the tourism industry, he added.
           
MWT Cymru chairman Rowland Rees-Evans thanked both Mrs Davies and Mr Hughson for their work on behalf of tourism businesses during a challenging time for the industry.
 
He referred to four consultation papers issued by the Welsh Government. “They will undoubtedly have a major impact on the industry when the legislation is implemented,” he said.
 
“We are already starting to see the effect of 182-day rule on self-catering holidays. As it stands at the moment, next year we will also have full business rates to contend with, among other changes.
 
“MWT Cymru has always tried to look after its members, business partners and community groups with help and support from our great team who try to get ahead of the curve whenever new legislation, rules and regulations are being put in front of us.”
 
Despites concerns about new legislation, he said there were positive signs that 2024 could be a better year for tourism businesses. Forward bookings were healthier than the same time last year and there was feeling that people, who did not take a holiday in Mid Wales this year due to the cost of living crisis, would return in 2024.