THE FUTURE OF TOURISM IN WALES

Given the importance of tourism to Wales, it was fascinating to read the Welsh Government’s 2013-2020 strategy for the industry.

Of particular interest was their take on what actually differentiates Wales from the rest of the World and identifying the ‘magic sauce” that ensures tourism makes a growing contribution to the economy.

Not surprisingly, the natural environment is seen as a central reason as to why visitors choose to take their holidays in Wales.

Certainly, developments such as the opening of the 870-mile long coastal path will help to maintain this key advantage as will the growing importance of activity holidays, including cycling, horse riding, adventure sports, fishing and golf, which make full use of our coast and countryside.

Allied to the natural beauty of our nation is its heritage and culture which makes us a distinct destination. This ranges from castles, both Welsh and Norman, to industrial attractions, such as Llechwedd Slate Caverns and the Big Pit, which catalogues the nation’s more recent history.

There has also been a recent interest in so-called religious tourism, with American visitors being seen as a potential target for this growing segment of the market. To capitalise on this, a North Wales Pilgrim’s Way, which starts in Flintshire and continues across the coast to the Bardsey Island, was opened in 2011.

Events and festivals, such as Wakestock, the Hay Festival and the Kaya Festival, are also seen as being important in attracting a different, and younger, type of visitor to Wales. And whilst the sporting facilities we have in our cities are attracting big events such as the Rugby World Cup, Ryder Cup and the Ashes, one mustn’t forget the success of more specialist venues such as Pwllheli in hosting four World championships and thirty-two UK National championships in the last seven years.

These are all positive trends for tourism over the next few years that could make a real difference to many local economies across Wales. Yet there remain a number of other challenges which the industry faces and which need addressing quickly.

Leisure and tourism is one of the industries that has been hit hard by the reluctance of banks to lend to smaller firms in recent years and this lack of capital is preventing the industry from carrying out important improvements. Indeed, given that a key strategy of the Tourism Sector Panel is the improvement of better quality visitor facilities, particularly accommodation, this cannot be achieved without the right financial support, whether it comes from the banks or the Welsh Government.

The Wales Tourism Alliance has also pointed out the importance of upgrading skills within the industry and yet there is a lack of focus to achieve this. Given this, perhaps the time has come for a National Tourism College which would be industry led, be focused on excellence and would provide the upskilling critical to make Wales the best holiday destination in the UK.

Finally, the industry needs to be dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st Century to make sure it makes the most of the social media now used by potential visitors to not only book their holidays but, via sites such as TripAdvisor, to recommend them to their friends and peers.  In particular, greater use of mobile social media, via smartphones, could add real value to the tourism experience in Wales.

Clearly, Wales needs to make the most of its natural assets to grow the tourism industry over the next few years but to succeed the Welsh Government and other bodies must ensure that tourism businesses have the funding, skills and social media awareness to take full advantage of these opportunities.

THE KAYA FESTIVAL

In February, I met a quiet and unassuming young man, Thabani Nyoni, who explained his vision for a new world music festival. 

Zimbabwean born Nyoni has lived in London since the age of five and I was immediately struck by his idea that creativity and diversity can help the Welsh economy.

Nyoni is one of the founders of the Kaya Festival taking place in the Faenol estate from the 1st to the 3rd of June. Bryn Terfel's Faenol festival no longer exists but that doesn’t deter this music entrepreneur in the slightest. He chose the venue for his new venture after attending the Radio 1 Big Weekend in 2010. 

Now with backing from Welsh Government, Gwynedd Council and the Arts Council, his vision has become reality.

This week, Ron Jones, founder of Wales's largest television company Tinopolis, wrote a salient article in his capacity as chairman of the Welsh Government creative sector advisory panel. He said that “Around the world, governments are realising the creative industries are amongst the leading sectors driving economic growth… our challenge is to ensure that no talent gets wasted, that no ideas are unexplored and no company is unable to take advantage of market opportunities.”

And thankfully, in this instance, the Welsh Government and other partners are collaborating to ensure Nyoni’s talent and ideas are not wasted. But it’s not simply the creative and economic benefits of a new music festival in Wales that interest me as the economic evidence regarding the local impact of music festivals is also overwhelming.

In 2009, a Welsh Music Foundation report looked at the now hugely successful Green Man Festival (which takes place on the Glan Usk estate in Powys) and found that it attracted 18,000 visitors, 98% of which visited solely to attend the festival and 77% came from outside Wales. Green Man now generates £3.5 million in direct additional expenditure in the region and £4.5 million from additional tourism expenditure.

It is interesting to note that when Green Man started, back in 2003, it only attracted 500 people. The Kaya Festival has already surpassed that figure in its first year. Big things start from small beginnings. The same study also claims softer benefits to the region through increased exposure from editorial coverage and the overall enhancement to brand Wales’ by being a ‘cool place’ to visit.

There are other examples of both cultural and economic impact to Wales, ranging from the Wakestock Festival on the Llyn Peninsula, attracting 25,000 people, to the much smaller but hugely influential Do Lectures, taking place again in Pembrokeshire this week. It is Nyoni's belief that Kaya offers something different to the local and UK festival crowd by also promoting creative skills and job opportunities. Whilst larger, more impersonal festivals are being hit by the economic climate, there is still a place for smaller festivals that offer a unique experience.

And it’s that aspect of Kaya festival which really excited me. Not content with establishing a new and commercially risky world music festival in North Wales, the organisers are also determined to develop the talents of local young people.

They’ve secured a personal performance and Q&A session from MC star Tinchy Stryder to help encourage local young people to take their first steps in the music business. Coleg Menai, Careers Wales and other local training providers will, through the festival, offer apprenticeships, mentoring and on-site training in all aspects of running a commercial music festival.

With youth unemployment hitting record highs, we must find better ways to engage and encourage young people. Kaya is a perfect opportunity to do so and North Wales must take advantage of such a great opportunity to promote local talent and develop more new creative entrepreneurs ourselves.