It’s one of the biggest sectors in Wales employing more than 172,000 people and adding over £6.2bn annually to the economy, but with inflation and the cost of living crisis impacting people's finances, how is the tourism industry faring?
The latest Welsh Government Wales Tourism Business Barometer for May 2023, which assesses business confidence in the sector, reveals a mixed picture as operators enter the critical summer trading season.
It found that 18% of businesses have had more customers to date this year than in the same period in 2022, while 38% record the same level and 44% are down. It has also been a slow start to the year in terms of holiday operators taking advanced bookings as cost of living pressures subdue levels.
