After the success of promoted off-road cycle tourism routes such as King Alfred's Way and Traws Eryri. Cycling UK, formerly the Cyclist's Touring Club, is proposing their next promoted route explores Shropshire and the Welsh Marches.
 
"The Marcher Castles Way will be a circular route, approx 280 km long, beginning in Shrewsbury. The route will link together the best of existing promoted routes and heritage locations, offering an exciting new sustainable tourism offer in the area, and providing new opportunities for people to enjoy and connect with nature, landscape and local history."
 
Full consultation details are available online here: https://arcg.is/181SGX (with a link at the end to offer your feedback on the proposals).

Shrewsbury - Wroxeter Roman City -  Ironbridge Gorge WHS - Wenlock Edge - Brown Clee - Titterstone Clee - Ludlow - Knighton - Offa's Dyke - Kerry Ridgeway / Newtown - Montgomery - Stiperstones - Long Mynd - Shrewsbury.

 

Accommodation, attractions, tours and events can reach new customers through a broad range of distribution channels and unique campaigns, brought together in one platform.

That platform is Tourism Exchange Great Britain (TXGB), but what is it and how does it work? What are the benefits for your business?

catch up with our short webinar (recorded in August) all about TXGB, including case studies and answers to frequently asked questions.

​If you want to enable more online bookings, or become bookable online for the first time, this free 30 minute Zoom webinar is for you.

​Passcode for MWT Members: kq$3YXti

​Passcode for MWT Members: 8UM?wWH6

“The SEO and Digital Marketing webinar was very interesting and informative. Thank you! I’m in the process of updating our website so the resources shared and lessons learnt will come in very useful.”
Maria Jones, Ty Llewelyn Glamping & Camping

Links to the main resources referenced in the webinar:

Chrome plugins:
All in One SEO Analyzer
Detailed SEO

Google Trends - search for keyword trends over time.   

SEO software:
SEMRush
ahrefs (free tier available - see "Get started for free")  

LLMs (Large Language Models):
​ChatGPT (create an account to save the prompts you type in and their responses) 
Claude AI
Google Gemini AI  

⚠️ Remember if you upload documents to a LLM (like ChatGPT) to turn off the "share with everyone" setting, to stop your data being used to train the system for other people's responses. In ChatGPT this is in Settings.

"Digital strategist" prompt that we used: Act as an expert digital strategist. I want to rank for 'camping mid wales'. Look at the digital landscape for that term and make recommendations which channels I should be using.  

AlsoAsked - search term research website - find the questions people are asking about your industry. 3 free searches per day.   ​

Passcode for MWT Cymru members: gyj$?s8N

It's been a busy few weeks at MWT Cymru. Zoe Hawkins, our CEO, represents members' interests on a number of different committees and forums to ensure your voices are heard. 

Here's a flavour of some of the work we've been doing, and continue to do, behind the scenes - 

• Gwynedd & Eryri 2035: Strategic Partnership Board
  This sets out principles and objectives for 2035 relating to the new tourism strategy and inputs into the evolved destination management structure and work plan, and looks for ways that tourism and local communities can work closer together. We are delighted to attend these meetings to represent the Meirionnydd area.
  
  
• Caravan & Camping Forum for Wales
  We attend this twice yearly forum to connect with this important sector. 
  ​
• Economy & Rural Affairs Committee
  As per Zoe's recent email, the committee is meeting in Lake Vyrnwy this autumn and Zoe is assisting the secretariat to co-ordinate invitations to meet with committee members. This is a chance for a small group of businesses to share personal experiences and highlight specific challenges impacting our businesses and communities. If you are interested in attending and supporting MWT's efforts at this event, please email [email protected]
  
  
• NRW Visitor Centres Closures
  MWT Cymru, The Mid Wales Regional Tourism Forum, and Wales Tourism Alliance have issued a joint press release to highlight concerns about the closure of high profile visitor centres currently managed by Natural Resources Wales, and written to the Chief Executive of NRW. A meetings has taken place with NRW and discussions are ongoing.
  
  
• Business News Wales – Tourism Podcast
  Zoe also participated in a ‘State of the Sector’ Business News Wales podcast as part of Wales Tourism Week with Suzy Davies (Wales Tourism Alliance Chair) and Jim Jones (North Wales Tourism) – link to podcast https://businessnewswales.com/tourism-wales-podcast-guide/
  
  
• Bank of England:
  MWT Cymru will be to taking part in a virtual ‘off the record’ Round table event this month.
  
  
• Member events / webinars:
  It's been great to see so many members joining us for our virtual webinars in recent weeks, with a range of guest speakers focusing on important topics including working with the Visit Wales Travel Trade and Business Events team, an introduction to AI, improving your digital marketing and SEO, and a focus on furnished holiday lettings and the implications of the abolishment of the FHL tax regime from April 2025. Recordings have been shared in our e-news updates and will be added to the Members area of www.mwtcymru.co.uk 
  
  
• Visit Mid Wales:
  MWT is investigating options to integrate an AI Chatbot into regional website in addition to a number of enhancement to improve bookablity options for both accommodation and non-accommodation. Our Autumn campaign includes stargazing and waterfalls themes promoted via PR/media, social channels and web.

MWT ‘How’s Business Survey’ April – August 2024

Thank you to everyone who responded to our recent 'How's Business' Survey.
 
Key Findings

• Revenue & Profitability - Margins very tight due to increased overheads / staff costs across all sectors.
• Ceredigion businesses have seen bookings generally hold steady this year - concerned that Autumn and Winter will realistically bring a decline. 
• Southern Snowdonia businesses show a decline in bookings and pessimistic about recovery this year
• Powys businesses are remaining steady year-on-year, but are seeing a decline in forward bookings for the later season

 
How’s Business Quotes:

Gwynedd Attraction: Fewer visitors generally, and increased staffing costs. Wales has always had rainy days but this issue is now a major factor in our declining visitor numbers.
 
Powys Attraction: Restrictions on growth such as car parking and infrastructure are all having a huge effect. The business continues to grow, but between lack of space, a LA that has confused and uncoordinated strategic plans where social housing trumps tourism expansion/development
 
Ceredigion Attraction & Accommodation: Fewer overseas visitors. Labour and general costs shot up this year making profitability more difficult.  What's going to happen to visitors numbers this Autumn/winter?
 
Powys Attraction: Sadly far fewer English tourists this year. Their main crumbles are the 20 MPH, feeling Wales does not really want tourists, concern of the proposed tourism tax. Many local self-catering people have sold up over the 182 day issue which again does not help attractions. Our rates will go up by £10.000 next year, and staffing costs are rapidly increasing. General feeling is that Welsh tourism is on the decline due to Welsh Government interventions.
 
Self Catering: We are farming and running this as additional business and it is getting too much.  The barn was converted to be a s/c holiday let under National Park planning regulations and we are unable to sell it for habitation so have our hands tied. We manage one cottage for a family member and they have decided to sell rather than carry on.
 
Hotel (Powys): Staffing is the biggest issue for my hotel. we're not easy to get to unless you have a car. The 20mph speed limit has now cost my business £25k in lost revenue this year alone.

Wales Tourism Alliance (WTA)
​
2024 Wales Tourism Week (WTW) Senedd Reception was held on Tuesday 16th July 24 providing an opportunity to raise awareness of the issues impacting our industry, and it was also a time to showcase the quality of our offer.

MWT Cymru attends regular WTA forum meetings to champion the industry.

​If you have any questions about the representational work we do at MWT, please email [email protected] ​

A message from Visit Wales - 

​Register now for the Visit Wales marketing webinar to hear about our plans for Year of Croeso 2025 and our flagship new marketing campaign for Wales.  

The session will take place via Microsoft Teams Live Event* on 17 October 2024 from 2:00 pm – 3.30 pm.
We will be introducing our 2025 campaign plans, that will be delivered under the umbrella of the themed year. The session will also include updates and overviews of:

• Recent and current marketing activity
• Travel Trade activity
• New industry facing website
• National Tourism Awards for Wales 2025
  
  

You will also have the opportunity to raise questions during a short moderated question and answer* session. 

Resources will be available to all those attending including a breakdown of audience types for the themed year 2025.
Please register for your place by 4:00 pm, 14 October on: Business Wales Events Finder - Visit Wales marketing webinar (business-events.org.uk)
​
All attendees will receive a meeting link prior to the event.
 
*As an attendee of a Microsoft Teams Live Event, you can watch live events and participate in the moderated Q&A. You can't share audio or video. Before joining this event, attendees are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the platform:

• Attend a live event in Microsoft Teams - Microsoft Support
• Participate in a Q&A in a live event in Microsoft Teams - Microsoft Support