- 14/05/2015
- Posted by: Mike Hedges MS
- Category: Press Releases
The number of overnight trips to Wales by GB visitors hits 10 million
Figures published by the Welsh Government confirm that 2014 was a record-breaking year for tourism in Wales as the number overnight visits to Wales by GB residents hits an impressive 10 million for the first time since the Great Britain Tourism Survey was set up in its present form in 2006.
Mike Hedges said ‘I welcome the news of this increase in overnight stays; In Swansea East we have seen an increase in hotel bookings through the success of The Swans attracting supporters from other clubs who stay overnight. I am also aware that the Swansea Community Boat (which runs from Swansea Marina up the River Tawe) has also seen an increase in tourist numbers over the last 2 years. Tourism plays a vital role in the local economy and I look forward to further supporting further initiatives to develop this further in the coming years.’
The number of trips to Wales in 2014 is up 0.7 per cent on 2013, itself an excellent year. In comparison, the total for GB as a whole fell by 7.0 per cent.
The amount spent by GB visitors in Wales is also the highest on record at £1.735 billion. This shows an increase of 2.3 per cent while the total expenditure on overnight trips in GB as a whole fell by 2.6 per cent compared with 2013.
Holiday visits – the mainstay of tourism in Wales – have shown even more impressive increases over 2013: up 4.4 per cent in terms of trips, and up 7.7 per cent on related expenditure.
The full report can be found on this link http://gov.wales/statistics-and-research/?topic=Tourism&lang=en
