Tourism Survey Shows that Wales Exceeds Expectations

Results released show that Wales’ tourism industry held up well to the challenges of 2010 with the publication of the UK Tourism Survey Results from January to September 2010.

Gwenda Thomas AM said: ‘Tourism plays a major part in the Welsh economy, and these figures indicate how robust the industry is. Wales is a fantastic place to visit, and there are many attractions in my own constituency, such as waterfalls, historical sites including Aberdulais Falls, Neath Abbey, and the canals, all set in countryside of outstanding natural beauty. These results show how attractive the country is to visitors’.

The new figures, which include the peak summer months, show that between January and September 2010, UK residents made 7.28 million visits involving at least one night’s overnight stay to Wales. This is 1% down in comparison with the same period in 2009 (7.36 million). However in the period January-September 2010 the total number of staying visits by UK residents to the UK as a whole fell by 4% compared with the same period in 2009.

The total number of nights spent in Wales by UK domestic visitors on these trips was 28.89 million, 1% up on the corresponding period in 2009. In January-September 2010, the total volume of nights spent by UK residents to the UK as a whole fell by 7% compared with 2009.

From January-September 2010 visitors to Wales spent £1,237 million, compared with £1,207 million for the same period in 2009, an increase of 3%. In the first nine months of 2010 total expenditure by UK residents on trips to the UK as a whole fell by 6% in comparison with the January-September period in 2009.

In Wales, short holidays (1-3 nights) have shown the biggest growth: 10% up in terms of trips, 8% up in terms of nights and 23% up in terms of expenditure in comparison with 2009.