New figures released today (12 May) show that outdoor activity tourism in Wales is worth £481 million to the economy and supports 8,243 Welsh jobs.
The research was undertaken by Visit Wales in partnership with the Wales Activity Tourism Organisation (WATO), which represents more than 600 outdoor activity tourism providers in Wales.
The report highlights that the sector makes a 10% contribution to the Welsh tourism economy through £220 million spend by day trippers, £236 million by domestic overnight visitors and £24million from international overnight visitors.
The survey included outdoor activity businesses as well as those taking part in outdoor activities in Wales. Of those taking part in activities, 54% of those staying overnight revealed that they would not have made their visit to Wales if they were not taking part in the activity, suggesting that outdoor activities are an important factor in attracting visitors to Wales.
Meanwhile, 54% of businesses surveyed considered that the awareness of outdoor activities has increased over the last three years. This was attributed to high profile events and competitions in Wales, media exposure and new activity provision such as mountain biking facilities and a new zip wire attraction in Snowdonia.
Tourism Minister, Edwina Hart, said: “Wales offers a wide range of outdoor activities and adventure opportunities for visitors have an important role to play in attracting visitors to Wales. This sector has increased in popularity in recent years due to a demand for experiences and lifestyle-orientated holidays.
“The sector also provides benefits to the people of Wales by providing leisure activities and improvements to the local environment as well as contributing to our goal of improving the health of the nation. The tourism strategy for Wales aims to improve the quality and further develop the activities offered to visitors.”
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