Sunshine this holiday weekend isn’t just something desired by people who’ve had a long weekend off, it’s a vital component that many travel and beach executives have been praying for.

After three years of ups and downs for the tourism industry in Wales, it is vital that this Easter is a good one for the many businesses that have been left in the lurch by the devastating restrictions imposed by the coronavirus pandemic. The forecast for the weekend is here.

Tenby is always a colorful jewel in the crown of Welsh tourism and, speaking to some local businesses, it appears that its popularity has not waned with the reopening of overseas travel.

Holiday home rental company Sykes says bookings for the Pembrokeshire and seaside seaside resort for the Easter semester are up 40% compared to pre-pandemic 2019, with some local businesses seeing an increase in the number of foreign visitors.

Skyes figures show that a record number of Britons are planning to stay in the UK for Easter, with around 16 million preparing for the UK holiday.

A recent survey of 2,000 UK adults found that 31% of Britons planned to be away over the long weekend, compared with a quarter (25%) for Easter 2022. UK rents increased by 16% during the bank holiday. weekend compared to 2022 and 95% compared to 2019, with North Wales being one of the most popular destinations to visit.

Good news for businesses in Tenby looking forward to a busy Easter weekend, but there is a warning that the cost of living crisis is affecting how long people stay and how much people spend when they come on holiday.



Tenby is always a popular place in Wales.

Joe Sarrionandia, who has run a bed and breakfast in Strathmore since 1990, says the weather is always “a big factor,” but some people are changing their habits.

“The cost of living crisis often means people don’t stay with us as long as they used to,” he says. “Most stayed four or five days, but now people only stay two days. That means we have even more visitors.”

Looking ahead to the summer, he says it’s “hard to say” how busy it will be. “Everything will depend on the economy and the climate,” he says. “But people like to take a night or two off instead of staying at home, even if the economy is bad.”

The town’s Elm Grove Cottage, opened 68 years ago, was a home for evacuees from London during World War II.

Manager Jane Rhys-Bains says there have been “last minute” bookings for Easter, meaning they are fully booked for the entire weekend.

“A lot of people are waiting to see what the weather is going to be like,” she says. “This is really the first proper year for us since Covid and we’ve seen a significant increase in visitors. We also had a lot more international guests, mostly Dutch. I think there’s a room with a Dutchman every day in the summer.

Jane adds proudly: “Our bookings show that Wales is once again open to the world. We have several different groups that come for three or four days as car enthusiasts. We also had a lot of early bookings last summer. and also, therefore, business is good.”

While he admits times are tough, they will remain tough. “The cost of living crisis is the hardest part,” she says. — Influence is transmitted from person to person. This has affected our suppliers, so it has affected us as well, as transportation costs and energy prices go up.

“So we had to raise the prices of our rooms and restaurants a little bit because we still want people to come and visit us. We want travel to be affordable.”

The Welsh Federation of Small Businesses said the outlook for some tourism businesses was “difficult”, with chief executive Ben Cottam saying it was “critical” that people use the bank holiday weekend to support “valuable local businesses”. “.

Susie Davies of the Tourism Alliance for Wales told BBC Wales: “We have heard from accommodation and attraction providers that bookings have dropped this year. This creates a sense of uncertainty in the industry. These companies want to move forward. The cost of living affects not only the business but also the customers. They spend less when they get there.

“There’s a lot of aggressive marketing out there, but nothing that compares to the beauty here in Wales.”

The Welsh government said it was focused on “spreading the benefits of tourism across Wales”.

Welsh undersecretary for sports Dawn Bowden says the Welsh government wants to spread the benefits of tourism across the country.

She said: “Our ‘Visit Wales’ marketing campaigns will continue to have Wales in mind, particularly as the industry reports a trend towards late bookings in line with the economic climate.”

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