Cash for tourist firms to shelter visitors from rain

Tourist attractions in Wales could claim up to £20,000 of grant funding from the Welsh government to invest in "weather-proofing".

The government said the scheme would help small or medium-sized businesses to invest in measures like canopies, improved car park surfaces or visitor shelters, as weather conditions become increasingly unpredictable.

Data from Visit Wales showed 55% of businesses said poor weather was a reason for fewer visitors last summer.

But a Bangor University economist questioned whether the £1m scheme would be enough to have an impact on the industry.

Tourism brings £3.8bn to the Welsh economy each year, according to the Welsh government.

The weather-proofing scheme will run until 2026 and offer grants of between £5,000 and £20,000.

Eligible businesses must be accredited visitor attractions under the Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance Scheme; be micro, small or medium-sized; and have been trading for at least one year as a limited company, partnership, sole trader or social enterprise.

Dan yr Ogof, a 17km (10 mile) cave system in Swansea which attracts tens of thousands of visitors each year, hopes to apply for the grant.

Ashford Price, chairman of the attraction, said he would use the money to build more shelters by the ticket office and at stations for the site's land train.

"No umbrella in this world would weather-proof Wales," admitted Mr Price.

But he hopes to find a way to help visitors enjoy the landscape without getting soaked.

"The serious side is that when they're at an attraction they're paying a lot of money to see what is there," he said.

"The important thing is Wales is doing something where the other regions are doing nothing.

"If they know there's a kind of assurance that we've done our very best to look after them, even in the rain, I think that will get us some brownie points."

He said he would like to see more money made available in the future but described the grant as "a good starting point".

Andy Addis-Fuller from the Penycae Inn restaurant, in Swansea, said he hoped the business would also receive a grant.

"With the climate the way it is and the downpours that we get, we need to start thinking outside the box with regards to what we do to keep people dry," he said.

The team also runs a "micro zoo", has a separate building with rooms for staying guests and outdoor space for eating and drinking.

"People like to use the space outside, it's a lovely space but if it really does start to beat down they've got nowhere to go, literally stood there thinking 'we're getting wet'," said Mr Addis-Fuller.

He said they would use the funding to invest in more pergolas for the outdoor seating area or even a marquee. They would also look to invest in more heaters and heated rails, to benefit the walkers who visit.

"Really in the last six months we've had quite a few storms which have really impacted the valley," said Mr Addis-Fuller.

Dr Edward Thomas Jones, senior lecturer in economics at Bangor University said tourism "really contributes to economies in many areas" of Wales.

"One of the issues that we hear a lot here is the impact that wet weather or any bad weather has on businesses," he added.

"The concerns that I have is that the £1m fund that we're talking about, that won't be sufficient to really have an impact on this industry."

The cabinet secretary with responsibility for tourism, Rebecca Evans, said the fund was a result of listening to "the concerns of people working in the tourism attraction sector".

"As the weather, which has carved out our impressive landscapes throughout history, becomes more and more unpredictable, it has been identified as the single biggest factor affecting visitor numbers to Welsh attractions," said Ms Evans.

She said the fund would help businesses to "prepare for increasingly variable weather patterns" as well as extending the tourist season.