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Wales needs a better brand to win visitors [Western Mail (Wales)]
[October 22, 2014]

Wales needs a better brand to win visitors [Western Mail (Wales)]


(Western Mail (Wales) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) ACROSS-PARTY group of MPs have sounded the alarm bell about Wales' failure to win large numbers of tourists despite the nation boasting some of Europe's most spectacular scenery.

A Welsh Affairs committee's report warns that Wales "still has a low profile overseas compared to other parts of the UK" and attracts "the third smallest number of international visitors of any UK 'region'." Numbers of international tourists visiting Wales have slumped from 1.14 million in 2006 to 854,000 in 2012. Wales' share of the UK market has fallen during this time from 3.5% to 2.7%.



However, the Welsh Government pointed to evidence overseas markets were "starting to recover".

The International Passenger Survey shows a 21% increase in the number of overseas visitors to Wales (415,000) between January and June and a 1% in related expenditure (Pounds 149m).


The UK as a whole saw a 9% increase in visits and a 2% expenditure boost.

Visits from North America increased by 6%, from Europe by 28% and the rest of the world by 3%.

However, the Welsh Affairs committee makes the financial case for the nation to up its game, stating: "Wales remains one of the poorer parts of both the UK and the EU and the revenue brought through trade, by overseas tourists and from inward investors is vital." They are concerned that Wales "lacks a coherent brand for the overseas market," and call for the nation to be "marketed much more vigorously overseas".

The MPs highlight the Dylan Thomas centenary as a missed opportunity, stating that while "events have been organised in Wales, London and New York," these have "not been used to promote long-term growth in the number of cultural tourists to South Wales, through attaching the Dylan Thomas brand to the Wales brand." The committee challenges Visit-Britain - which promotes tourism across the UK - and Visit Wales to develop a strategy by February 2015 for "promoting Wales as a first choice destination for international visitors to the UK".

The UK Government is also urged to "review its policy on the VAT rate for the tourism industry, with the ultimate aim of reducing the current 20% rate." The committee notes that 24 of the EU's 28 members states have reduced VAT for visitor accommodation.

They warn that the "refusal" to reduce VAT "could be having a detrimental effect".

They also want UK Trade & Investment - the UK Government's trade promotion body - to be given a mandate to reduce the wealth inequalities between the richest and poorest parts of Britain.

Arguing that Wales offers a "better quality of life offer to inward investors than London and the South East," they call for the creation of a "dedicated trade promotion agency".

This could sit within the Welsh Government or be a private sector body that works with it to win investment.

Setting out the scale of the challenge facing Wales, they state: "Wales, one of the top regional performers in attracting [foreign direct investment] in the period 1990-2004, receiving approximately 15% of the UK's inward investment and associated jobs created, had become almost the worst performer by 2009." Wrexham Labour AM and Welsh Government deputy minister for culture, sport and tourism, Ken Skates welcomed improved figures, saying: "Following a decade of decreasing numbers of overseas visitors to Wales, these figures are excellent news for Welsh tourism.

"Not only is Wales outperforming the rest of the UK on attracting day and staying visitors from the domestic market, we are also ahead of the game in attracting overseas visitors as markets recover following the economic downturn." (c) 2014 ProQuest Information and Learning Company; All Rights Reserved.

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