Tourism Business Update - 11 April 2024

Latest news and information for local tourism and hospitality businesses

Welsh Government Tourism Barometer: February 2024

The Barometer assesses business confidence in the Welsh tourism industry and provides indicative results at national, regional and sectoral level for February wave 2024.

2023 was quite a challenging year for the industry: one in four (25%) businesses had more visitors in 2023 compared to 2022, and 42% had the same level. However, one third (33%) had fewer. Attractions performed well in 2023, with 42% increasing their visitor numbers and about a further third (34%) achieving the same level. At the other end of the scale, the self-catering sector struggled the most, with 19% increasing visitor levels but 42% reporting to be down.

There were differences in visitor numbers by region but the main concerns remain high costs and Welsh Government policies.

Download the Feb 2024 Tourism Barometer

Workplace Recycling - new regulations from 6 April

From 6 April 2024, it will become law for all businesses, charities and public sector organisations to sort their waste for recycling. This includes:

Hospitality and tourism - restaurants, bars, pubs, bed and breakfasts, hotels, campsites and caravan parks, holiday accommodation, and licensed premises
Showgrounds
Entertainment and sports venues including leisure centres
Transport - bus stations, railway stations, seaports, airports, and heliports
Education - universities, colleges, and schools
Heritage buildings
Libraries and museums
Places of worship
Outdoor markets and festivals

The Welsh Government is introducing this law to improve the quality and quantity of how we collect and separate waste: Workplace recycling | GOV.WALES

Further Welsh Government guidance is also available here: Changes to workplace recycling: guidance for workplaces | GOV.WALES

There are separate guides available for the following sectors:

Free short courses at Gower College Swansea

Gower College Swansea is leading two new initiatives to boost employability for those aged 19 or over and living or working in Swansea.

Multiply and Skills for Swansea allows you to enhance your skills for free and open doors to new opportunities, from mastering numeracy and the digital world to improving your customer service training, or diving into environmental and risk management topics.

Find out more about Multiply courses available here.

Find out more about Skills for Swansea courses available here.

HMRC Webinars: Payroll updates, payrolling and paying directors - various dates

Payrolling employee benefits and expenses can reduce the administrative burden on employers - and save you time. Join HMRC live webinars this Spring for more information.

Company directors - payroll and you

Tax and National Insurance treatment of payments to directors
Expenses and benefits
Payroll information that must be submitted to HMRC
Keeping accurate records

Taxing employees' benefits and expenses through your payroll

advantages of payrolling expenses and benefits
when and how to register for payrolling
how payrolling works

Public given chance to influence Singleton Park improvement plan

Park users and concert-goers are being urged to give their ideas on how Swansea's Singleton Park can be improved as it continues to host big events.

They're invited to drop-in sessions in the park when matters under discussion could range from drainage and lighting to WiFi and access.

The sessions will be hosted by Wales-based events management specialist SC Productions on behalf of Swansea Council which facilitates the staging of several major Singleton Park events every year.

The council has pledged £350,000 from its extensive Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF) programme to carry out improvements this year.

The council's wide-ranging culture and tourism SPF initiative is investing in Swansea and its people, strengthening the area's culture and tourism sectors.

You can have your say by completing the online questionnaire.

Feedback will then be used as the council formulates its improvements plan for the park.

MEW Conference: 13-14 March, Swansea Arena

Marine Energy Wales is excited to announce that their conference will return to Swansea Arena on 13-14 March 2024.

#MEW2024 is the UK's largest event dedicated to marine renewable energy and an opportunity to help shape the future of marine renewable energy in Wales, and connect with industry leaders, experts, researchers, and policymakers.

Find out more about MEW Conference

Your comms and the Countryside Code for Wales: Workshop Invite - 17 April (14.00-15.30) - Microsoft Teams

For generations, the Countryside Code for Wales has acted as a guide to responsible recreation for people enjoying parks and waterways, coast and countryside.

With more of us than ever before enjoying the outdoors, extra pressure is being put on our environment.

As such, Natural Resources Wales (NRW) is seeking to raise the visibility and awareness of the Countryside Code with everyone participating in outdoor recreation in Wales.

The Countryside Code Strategy (2023) recommends a more coordinated approach to developing a network of stakeholders with an interest in the outdoors who represent today's society.

We'd like to invite you to a communications and promotion-focused workshop to:

Find out about recent developments in the development and promotion of the Code
Explore how the Code could be worked into your communications
Meet other sector stakeholders

If someone else in your organisation specialises in communications, please feel free to send this invite onto them.

Please confirm your attendance at the workshop by emailing: Sophie.Leyshon@workingword.co.uk

Business Swansea Advice Surgery: 26 Apr (10.00am-13.00), Penclawdd Community Centre, Victoria Road, Penclawdd, SA4 3FJ

Access to business support
Swansea Council grants and loans information
Help with funding applications
Recruitment and training
Signposting to relevant agencies
Networking opportunities

Meet the Experts:

Business Swansea Anchor Team
Pathways to Work Employability Team
Skills for Swansea - Gower College
Business Wales
Swansea's Broadband Engagement Officer
Development Bank of Wales
Focus Futures

Just drop in, No Booking Needed

British Business Awards 2024 - entries close 26 April

The awards recognise and celebrates the outstanding and innovative achievements of small and medium-sized businesses across the UK, shining a spotlight on remarkable stories.

Whether you're a budding startup demonstrating growth, an established business setting new industry standards, or an individual making a significant contribution to the British business landscape, the awards want to recognise your achievements.

This year's categories are:

Black, Asian, Ethnic Minority Business of the Year
Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Initiative of the Year
Entrepreneur of the Year (over 30)
Entrepreneur of the Year (under 30)
Health and Wellbeing Initiative of the Year
Micro Business of the Year
Most Innovative Business Idea of the Year
Recruitment Advisor of the Year
Retail Business of the Year
Small Business Influencer of the Year
Small Business of the Year
SME Insurance Broker of the Year
SME Marketing Agency of the Year
Start-up of the Year
Sustainable Business Award of the Year
Technology Provider of the Year
Women-Led Business of the Year

Entries close on Friday 26 April 2024.

The awards are completely free to enter, you can nominate yourself or a deserving peer, colleague or business.

For further information, visit: British Small Business Awards | Celebrating the leaders in the small business community

The Welsh Business Show 2024: 8 Oct, Swansea.com Stadium

The Welsh Business shows are Wales' largest business to business exhibition comprising of three national shows.

The shows provide a platform for businesses of all sizes to showcase their products and services.

The shows are an opportunity for you to acquire new business techniques, listen to inspiring keynote speakers, seek expert advice, gain knowledge from other delegates and exhibitors and improve business contacts through networking.

This year's dates and venues are:

14 May 2024 - Cardiff
10 July 2024 - Carmarthenshire
8 October 2024 - Swansea

The shows are free to attend if you pre-register and there are also opportunities to exhibit.

For further information please visit: The Welsh Business Shows - Business Expo Wales | TWBS

New hotel boost as Swansea's £1bn transformation continues

Some of the world's leading hotel developers and operators are being encouraged to invest in Swansea in a further boost for the city's ongoing transformation.

Swansea Council is now marketing the opportunity for a hotel operator to build and run a new hotel on land between Swansea Arena and the LC leisure centre.

This follows-on from an expert study commissioned by the council's tourism team that identified the need for three new hotels in Swansea.

The study also recommended the site adjacent to the arena as favourable for a development of this kind.

The hotel there would include a minimum of 120 bedrooms.

If the hotel plan goes ahead, it would be largely funded by the private sector. Subject to the business plans of bidders, there could also be funding support through grants and loans from the Welsh Government and Swansea Council.

Between 2019 and 2022, Swansea was in the UK's top five places for revenue per available room. Used by the hospitality industry to measure a hotel's performance, that figure is calculated by multiplying a hotel's average daily room rate by its occupancy rate.

In 2023, Swansea also entered the top 10 of a UK hotel market index run by hotel consultants Colliers. The annual index assessed 38 UK cities against ten areas, including room occupancy rates, daily room costs, revenue per available room growth, development expenses, land values and market demand.

Figures show tourism is now worth over £510m a year to Swansea, with the sector supporting 5,200 full-time jobs.

Read full story: 'New hotel boost'

'Give Seals Space' campaign underway

A new wildlife campaign to help protect seals on the Swansea and Gower coastline has received support from Swansea Council.

The Council is backing the 'Give Seals Space' campaign, which has been developed by the Gower Seal Group and aims to provide advice to visitors to the many Gower beaches about what to do if they spot seals.

Rocky coastal spots such as Limeslade and Bracelet Bay, as well as Port Eynon and Langland Bay have all been known to provide resting spots for groups of seals as well as thousands of visiting public every year.

Colourful new information panels have now been put up at these beaches, part funded by the Council, providing tips and advice on seal behaviour and simple actions the public can do to help make seals feel safe and not disturb them.

Retired police officer Gareth Richards is the founder and director of Gower Seal Group as well as vice chair of UK Seal Alliance. He is the man behind the latest campaign and since retirement has spent his time campaigning for seal safety and the rescue of injured seals.

Seals spend around 80 percent of their time at sea and come ashore along Gower to rest, sleep and digest their food. The short time they are on land is vital to their health, but also makes them vulnerable to human interactions.

The UK is home to a third of the entire world population of grey seals, making them globally rare.

Read full story about 'Give Seals Space'

'See It - Report It': free display stickers available for businesses

Seen or heard something that doesn't feel right? Witnessed a crime or incident? Act now and play your part in keeping communities safe for all.

Businesses in Swansea are being urged to help their local neighbourhood by reporting crimes and any suspicious occurrences or incidents of anti-social behaviour.

'See It - Report It' stickers are now available for businesses to display on their premises.

The stickers, which are A4 and available bilingually, contain QR codes and useful contacts for the police, StreetSafe, Victim Support and Counter Terrorism Policy.

This is a Safer Swansea initiative.

If you would like to receive some 'See It - Report It' stickers, email Paul.Evans3@swansea.gov.uk or contact your local PCSO.

Swansea Council's Transforming County Placemaking Grant - improving your business premises

Up to £30,000 grant support is available for external improvements to your business premises. Grants also available for internal improvements if your business is vacant.

This grant is funded by UK Government and administered by Swansea Council.

To find out if your business is eligible, please email transformingcounty@swansea.gov.uk

Welsh Government to launch Future Proofing Fund

Hundreds of micro, small and medium-sized businesses in Wales will soon be able to apply for Welsh Government funding designed to help them to reduce their running costs.

Grants of between £5,000 and £10,000 will be available to eligible businesses in the retail, hospitality, and leisure sectors.

The £20m Future Proofing Fund will help businesses strengthen their future trading position by increasing profitability through investment in renewable energy technology, improvements to the fabric of their premises, and upgrades to systems or machinery to reduce energy use.

The grants will be paid up to 75% of project costs or £10,000, whichever is the lesser amount. It is expected that the business will contribute the remaining 25% from other sources.

The fund is open to businesses located in Wales (either headquartered or have an operating address in Wales) and which employ people in Wales.

An eligibility checker will open in mid-April 2024 and applications will open in May 2024.

Gower Coast Path Leaflet 2024

Hot off the press! Colleagues in Countryside Access have a small supply of the Gower Coast Path Leaflet 2024 available for local businesses.

If you are located near the coast path or you have guests interested in walking, you can request a small supply by emailing Mike.Scott2@swansea.gov.uk.

And don't forget you can pick up a selection of Countryside Access walking leaflets from the racks at the entrance of the Civic Centre SA1 3SN.

You can also find more information on local walking routes and download leaflets from our Visit Swansea Bay Walking section.

Update on the Mumbles Coastal Protection Scheme

We're upgrading and refurbishing the Mumbles coastal sea defences. The work will reduce the risk of flooding to homes and businesses that are increasingly threatened by rising sea levels brought about by climate change.

The work will strengthen the defences along Mumbles promenade for a distance of around 1km and will protect nearby homes, businesses and amenities.

They include sections such as a vertical sea wall and sloping revetment (retaining wall); these support the prom, providing leisure opportunities for pedestrians and cyclists, residents and visitors.

Funding for the new defences was secured from the Welsh Government.

We have updated our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Organising an event in Swansea?

Whether you are organising an event to take place on council or privately owned land you must make sure you have permission to do so and to follow the advice on the Council's pages:

Organising an event and use of open spaces

Looking for vacant premises for your business?

The Council's vacant land and property pages bring together information from a wide variety of sources, including properties available via both commercial agents and council owned property.

The properties are split into industrial buildings, offices, retail buildings and land.

Browse the vacant land and properties pages

Great events in 2024:

28 Apr - 26 May: Clyne in Bloom
13-19 May: Wales Tourism Week
17-19 May: Gower Cheese and Cider Festival, Gower Heritage Centre
13-17 June: Swansea International Jazz Festival
6-7 July: Wales Airshow
14 July: IronMan 70.3 Swansea
18 July: James Arthur live in Singleton Park
19 July: Classic Ibiza Swansea, Singleton Park
20 July: Let's Rock Swansea, Singleton Park
07-15 Sept: Gower Walking Festival
15 Sept: Admiral Swansea Bay 10k

Find out about more events happening in Swansea

Found this tourism trade update useful? Pass it on or contact Geraldine.Williams@swansea.gov.uk

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