THE WALES WAY


� The Coastal Way travels the west coast around Cardigan Bay, a 180-mile road-trip between the sea and mountains from Aberdaron to St Davids. It tours picturesque harbour towns and resorts such as Barmouth; the historic city of St Davids; fishing villages such as the brightly painted Aberaeron; and beaches, cliffs and coves.


W


elsh tourism bosses hope The Wales Way – three national scenic


routes – will help attract more visitors from the UK and overseas. Launched at World Travel


Market London 2017, the routes incorporate the most scenic and historic parts of Wales. Ken Skates, the Welsh


government’s economy and transport secretary, said: “This initiative emphasises the epic experiences that Wales has to offer – rather than simply the journey from A to B.


VISIT WALES IN FIGURES


� Business barometer poll found 42% of operators had more visitors in 2017 than in 2016; 39% had the same level; and 20% were down.


� GB overnight visits from January-June 2017 reached 4.2m, up 6.3% year-on-year


� International visits from January-June 2017 reached 493,000, 9% up year-on-year


� Day visits were 1% down year-on-year in the first nine months of 2017 but related expenditure was more than 13% up


travelgbi.com


“The routes will encourage visitors to stop and visit different places, areas, attractions and products which will enable them to get a deeper understanding of Wales and will benefit the local tourism industry too.” Visit Wales said the routes cover


more than 6,000 years of history, leading travellers over ancient paths and along Roman roads. The tourist board has also


suggested loops and detours so visitors can go “igam ogam” – the Welsh for zig-zagging.


� ROAD TRIPS The three Ways intersect, so holidaymakers can take short breaks or link the routes together for longer road trips. And tourists are not limited to driving in cars or coaches, as the routes offer rail connections, walking paths, cycling routes and horse-riding trails.


Aston Martin, which opens its second UK plant near Cardiff later this year, has partnered with Visit Wales on the launch of The Wales Way. Dr Andy Palmer, president and chief executive of Aston Martin, said: “We’re incredibly impressed by everything Wales has to offer and my team has had a fantastic time exploring and filming on its roads. “We’re very proud to be able to help launch these routes and look forward to welcoming visitors from the world over to experience them for themselves.”


� The Cambrian Way crosses the spine of Wales for 185 miles between Llandudno and Cardiff, along the mountainous spine of the country. It winds through the


Snowdonia and Brecon Beacons National Parks, passing through the quaint village of Betws y Coed and the adventure attractions of ZipWorld and Bounce Below.


� The North Wales Way is 75 miles but covers thousands of years of history and includes two Unesco World Heritage sites. It is a gateway to Snowdonia; the ancient history of Anglesey; and the area’s industrial heritage at Parys Mountain, once the world’s


largest copper mine. visitwales.com thewalesway.com


Year of the Sea a shore thing


Visit Wales’ latest themed year is the Year of the Sea, following the Year of Adventure in 2016 and Legends in 2017. Welsh actor Luke Evans – star of Hollywood movies such as Beauty & The Beast – features in an advertisement for the Year of the Sea campaign, piloting a classic seaplane around Wales’ coastline. There will also be film, print and digital marketing in key markets including the UK, Ireland, Germany and the US. In keeping with the


established #FindYourEpic message, the tagline is ‘Our Epic Shores’ which enables the


marketing to include inland lakes and broad rivers. From January to March, the


campaign is highlighting ‘Epic Seascapes’; in April-June it will showcase the Welsh ‘Coastal Capital and Communities’; in July-September, the theme will be ‘Coasts Alive’; and from October to December, it will be ‘Connected Coast’. Visit Wales has marketing


tools for members of the trade to create their own Year of the Sea material, including guides, promotional wording and a collection of coastal images. For details, email: themedyears@gov.wales


February 2018 | TravelGBI 27


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