Tourism Business Update - 6 Nov 2025

Swansea Bay Tourism Trade Survey - closing 6 Nov

If you haven't had a chance to fill in our 2025 Tourism Trade Survey, you have until Thursday, 6 November to do so. 

Open to all tourism or hospitality operators based in the City and County of Swansea.

Your views will help us shape the next Destination Management Plan for Swansea Bay as a visitor destination.

The survey should not take more than 5-10 minutes to complete, and your feedback will be invaluable. Only one response per business please.

This work is undertaken in partnership with our appointed agency Strategic Research & Insight, who will also be reaching out to local tourism operators by phone over the next few weeks.

Click here to take our survey

Giveaway prizes needed for our Enjoy Christmas Competition

Following the overwhelming success of our Christmas Competition last year, we will be running another exciting competition in the lead-up to Christmas this year - where we will be giving away fantastic prizes to lucky winners throughout December.

Would you like to promote your business and be part of our Enjoy Christmas competition? We are looking for fabulous prizes to give away to the winners, who will be announced on our social media channels. In return, you'll be included (and tagged) in the social media post for the relevant prize.

Last year, our competition generated 5,000 entries and lots of positive engagement on social media. It will also be referenced in our Winter customer e-newsletter.

To enter the competition, participants will need to 'like' and comment on the post.

If you are interested in taking part and donating a prize, please contact ffion.jennings@swansea.gov.uk before Thu 20 Nov. Thank you!

Weather-proofing Fund for Micro and Small Tourism and Hospitality Businesses - deadline extended to 10 Nov

Visit Wales is running another round of funding under the Weather-Proofing Scheme offering grants to Micro and Small Tourism and Hospitality businesses to improve trading conditions and provide a warm welcome to visitors, whatever the weather.

Please note that the Weather-proofing fund has now been extended to include Micro Businesses. This means micro and small businesses that employ 1-49 permanent staff (full or part time), are eligible.

Grants of between £5,000 and £20,000 are available to support the installation of weather-proofing measures, such as new covered outdoor areas, dining pods, surfacing and drainage as well as equipment and facilities that offer enhanced experiences in all weather.
 
The grant can support up to 75% of the costs of the weather-proofing measures (or up to £20,000 if this is less than 75% of the costs). 

Projects must be completed, paid for and claimed by 13 March 2026.

The closing date for this round has been extended to 5pm on 10 Nov.

Find out more about the Weather-proofing Fund and apply

• Unlock the Power of Business Events: A Year-Round Opportunity for Wales - 4 December (2pm-3pm)

Vacancies: Events Project Assistant x 2 - closing date 13 Nov 

Swansea Council are looking for two enthusiastic and experienced Events Project Assistants to join our small, dynamic team.

You will play a key role in delivering high-profile outdoor events such as the Wales Airshow, Swansea Jazz Festival, Swansea Bay 10K, and the Christmas Parade, as well as supporting a wide range of third-party events including Ironman and Singleton Park Concerts.

This is a fantastic opportunity to contribute to Swansea's ambitious events programme and be part of a team that delivers memorable experiences for our community and visitors.

Find out more and apply

Swansea Local Food Day (part of Green Economy Conference) - 13 Nov, Swansea Arena

Are you a food and drink producer, farmer, grower, or hospitality business in the Swansea area? Then mark your calendar and register your place to join us for a free event designed to help you thrive in the local food economy.

Arranged in collaboration by Swansea Council, Bwyd Abertawe and Cywain - this year's Local Food Day is part of the annual Green Economy Conference and Exhibition and is your opportunity to connect, learn, and discover new ways to strengthen your business through local sourcing and sustainability.

Event Highlights: 

• Field to Fork - join Jonathan Woolway, Executive Chef of The Shed restaurant in Swansea, as he shares his inspiring journey. Learn first hand how to maximise the benefits of local produce, from building successful relationships with local farmers and growers to implementing a 'Nose to Tail' approach that reduces waste and offers menu innovation.
   
• Networking and Tasting - connect with peers and potential partners during an informal networking session. Sample delicious offerings from some local businesses and make valuable contacts.
   
• Support for Your Business - get a quick, valuable overview of the essential support and resources available to your sector from Cywain, Farming Connect and the Horticulture Cluster.
   
• Swansea University - New Food Trails Project - Hear about an exciting new project from Swansea University and how it could impact the future of food in our region - and be involved in shaping its plans and activities.

This is a must-attend, free event for anyone committed to the quality, sustainability, and growth of Swansea's food and drink industry.

Please register your attendance by completing the registration forms both for the Green Economy Conference (to allow entry into the Arena) and for the Swansea Local Food Day.

Step 1: Register for the Green Economy Conference

Step 2: Register for Swansea Local Food Day

Visit Wales Industry webinars - Autumn 2025

This autumn, Visit Wales will be hosting a series of industry webinars designed to support and inform tourism businesses across Wales. Covering a variety of useful topics, these online sessions will offer practical insights and guidance to help you plan for the months ahead, a valuable series designed to keep you informed and inspired.

• Year of Croeso and Hwyl campaign - Marketing Update - 13 November (2pm-3:30pm)
   
• Unlock the Power of Business Events: A Year-Round Opportunity for Wales - 4 December (2pm-3pm)

National visitor accommodation registration and visitor levy webinar - 19 Nov (2pm)

The Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Act became law in September 2025.

The law gives Welsh councils the choice to introduce a visitor levy from April 2027. 

From autumn 2026, anyone who charges visitors for overnight stays in Wales must register with the Welsh Revenue Authority (WRA) by law. This applies to everyone who charges for overnight stays, from hotels and holiday cottages, to campsites and occasional lets during major events.

The WRA is responsible for running the registration service and managing the visitor levy for councils.

The WRA is running webinars this November to help you prepare for the changes. You'll get:

• The latest updates on visitor accommodation registration and visitor levy
• Practical guidance on what you need to do
• Answers to your questions from WRA experts

Get ready for the changes and secure your spot now

Tramshed Tech Skills: free hybrid courses in digital skills - 20 Nov 

Skills for Swansea offers free half-day training sessions designed to upskill individuals who live or work in Swansea in digital skills.

These fully funded hybrid courses are designed to up-skill individuals across Swansea with everything from social media and content creation to AI and cyber essentials.

This project is funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. You must be 19 and over, live or work in Swansea and not be in full time education.

Browse our upcoming sessions and apply to join below: 

• Thu 20 Nov - Enhanced Working with Digital Tools
• Thu 4 Dec - Foundations of Programming

Apply to Tramshed Tech Skills now

Welsh Government Consultation to give holiday lets more flexibility - closes 20 Nov

New proposals have been suggested to adjust the way tax rules for self-catering holiday let owners are applied.

Since April 2023, self-catering properties must be available for 252 days and actually let for 182 days each year to pay non-domestic rates instead of council tax. The rules were brought in to ensure property owners make a fair contribution to their local community.

The Welsh Government is seeking views on 2 key changes to the way the rules are applied, to give the sector extra stability:

• Allowing holiday let owners to use an average of 182 days let over several years. This means those who narrowly miss 182 days letting in the latest year would remain on non-domestic rates if they had achieved it on average over 2 or 3 previous years.
   
• Allowing up to 14 days of free holidays donated to charity to count towards the 182-day target.

The consultation also asks whether councils should consider giving businesses more time to adjust, such as a 12-month grace period before they may have to pay higher council tax rates when they move from non-domestic to domestic classification.

The consultation is open until 20 November. 

Respond to the consultation here

HMRC live webinars - Nov/Dec

Employer filing obligations

• Why, when, and how to send a Full Payment Submission (FPS) and an Employer Payment Summary (EPS)
• Exceptions
• Key dates and payments after leaving

Expenses and benefits for your employees - phones, internet and homeworking

An overview of the tax and National Insurance treatment where an employer:

• Provides a mobile phone
• Reimburses the use of a personal mobile phone
• Provides broadband in an employee's home, or pays towards it
• Provides homeworking expenses to its employees

Expenses and benefits for your employees - travel

• Travel and subsistence payments to employees
• Mileage payments for employees using their own vehicle
• Benchmark and bespoke scale rates
• Keeping records and sending reports to HMRC

Expenses and benefits for your employees - company cars, vans and fuel

• How to use the online calculator to work out the amount to report for payrolling or on the P11D
• Fuel made available for private use
• Essential record keeping

New Standards for Welsh holiday lets

Holidaymakers in Wales are set to benefit from a new Bill to support the development of tourism in Wales and drive up higher quality visitor accommodation.

Providers of holiday accommodation will need a licence and meet a set of standards showing that the accommodation is fit for visitors. The new licensing scheme will cover self-contained, self-catering accommodation like holiday cottages and flats. Providers will need to meet a 'fitness for visitor accommodation' standard to get a licence, by showing they have gas and electrical safety certificates, insurance, along with smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.

Research shows nearly two in three people planning UK trips don't know that holiday let owners don't currently need a licence. Over 80% of people planning trips in the UK would be more likely to book a holiday let if a licensing scheme existed.

The Development of Tourism and Regulation of Visitor Accommodation (Wales) Bill allows future Welsh Governments to extend licensing to other types of accommodation.

Read full press release on Welsh Government website

Approval for South West Wales Regional Transport Plan

Residents and businesses across Carmarthenshire, Neath Port Talbot, Pembrokeshire and Swansea are set to benefit from major improvements to the region's transport network following Welsh Government approval of the South West Wales Regional Transport Plan.

The plan, which will guide investment and development in transport up to 2030, aims to make it easier, greener and more affordable for people to travel across the region.

It sets out how public transport, walking and cycling routes, and road networks will be improved to better connect communities, support local economies and create a more sustainable future for South West Wales.

The plan has been developed by the Corporate Joint Committee (CJC) for South West Wales, which brings together the four local authorities and the National Park authorities in the region.

It follows an extensive consultation process during which nearly 900 residents, businesses and community organisations shared their views on the draft plan.

The consultation showed that reliable and affordable bus and train services are among the top priorities for people across the region, along with safer walking and cycling routes, and better connections between different types of transport.

The next stage will involve detailed work to fine-tune the final list of schemes that will receive funding and begin delivery.

Read full story

Small Business Saturday FREE virtual workshops: until 3 Dec

Alongside the annual Small Business Saturday Tour to celebrate all epic small businesses, Small Business Saturday will also be providing an extensive programme of virtual daily workshops at 11am from 3 November to 3 December.

Covering essential topics like marketing on a budget, time management, finance, and new digital tools such as AI, you'll get practical tips and insights from industry experts.

Check upcoming webinars

Flexible Skills Programme (FSP) - up to 50% off accredited training costs for your employees

Upskilling your employees with the Flexible Skills Programme Partnership Projects.

The Flexible Skills Programme is a Welsh Government funded initiative that supports businesses across Wales to invest in themselves and build a stronger, more skilled workforce. 

Employers can apply for funding to cover 50% of accredited training costs, with a maximum contribution value of £50,000 per application. There is no minimum funding limit. The requested training must be undertaken by the end of March 2026.

Whether you're looking to fill skills gaps, retain staff, or attract new talent, the Flexible Skills Programme can help you invest in your team's future.

Find out more about FSP and apply

Have your say: New generation of local nature reserves for Swansea

Swansea is set to create a new generation of 16 new Local Nature Reserves (LNRs) in the coming years under proposals unveiled by the council.

We would love to hear your views on an initiative that will boost some of the city's less well-known green gems alongside popular places like Singleton Park and Brynmill Park, Swansea Bay and Clyne Valley Country Park.

The community engagement programme is already underway where there will be opportunities to express your views in person but you can have your say online here.

LNR status can only be designated on land owned or on a long-term lease to the council. Swansea already boasts six LNRs, such as Bishops Wood and Cadle Heath, but there haven't been any new ones declared for almost 30 years.

LNR status can enable the council and community groups to access grant funding to enhance biodiversity and develop ideas that will boost the green and blue spaces as destinations for wider audiences such as interpretation panels and improved access as suitable.

Have your say on local green spaces

Get Your Business Seen - Join VisitSwanseaBay.com for Free

Are you a tourism or hospitality business based in Swansea? You may be eligible for a free listing on the official destination website VisitSwanseaBay.com.

The site is a key part of year-round marketing campaigns designed to attract both new and returning visitors to the area.

Since its relaunch earlier this year, traffic to partner listing pages has grown by nearly 64% - offering greater visibility for local businesses.

Free listings are available to accommodation providers, attractions, activity companies, and food and drink businesses who become Visit Swansea Bay Partners and enjoy a range of promotional benefits.

Find out more by emailing tourism.team@swansea.gov.uk or register your business for free here.

More great events in 2025:

6-26 Nov: The Dark Side of Oystermouth Castle
13 Nov: Green Economy Conference, Swansea Arena
21 Nov - 4 Jan: Swansea Waterfront Winterland
20-23 Nov: Swansea Victorian Christmas Fayre
21 Nov - 4 Jan: Swansea Waterfront Winterland
23 Nov: Swansea Christmas Parade and Lights Switch-On

Already confirmed for 2026:

28 Feb-1 March 2026: Croeso
1-3 May 2026: Tunes in the Bay
16 May 2026: Pride
24 May 2026: Swansea Triathlon
7 June 2026: Swansea Half-Marathon
12 July 2026: IronMan 70.3 Swansea
5-13 Sept 2026: Gower Walking Festival
20 Sept 2026: 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