Bridgend Council’s Cabinet is to discuss a new five-year tourism destination plan for Bridgend county (pdf).
The Covid-19 pandemic and Brexit have hit the local visitor economy hard.
Since 2019, Bridgend county has lost around 1,700 jobs related to the tourism industry and the economic impact from tourism fell by almost £140million (that includes the 2020-2021 post-pandemic recovery period).
In 2021, there were just over 2million visits to the county. The proportion of visitors who stay for one day has remained fairly consistent since 2017 at 85%.
The biggest driver for visits to Bridgend by some distance is the McArthur Glen Designer Outlet. Bryngarw County Park and the Porthcawl Pavilion are named among the top visitor destinations too.
Strengths & Weaknesses
Porthcawl stands out, nationally, for its association with golf and surfing. The report also notes a growing interest in Bridgend (town centre) for its food and drink offer. Transport isn’t a problem and prices are competitive.
Some of the opportunities include knock-on benefits from the proposed tourist park in the Afan Valley, continued promotion for Bridgend as a golfing and surfing destination and improved digital marketing.
The bad news is that a high proportion of visitors to Bridgend only come for a day, stunting tourism’s economic impact. The report also highlights “a lack of basics (i.e. toilets, street cleaning)” and an inability for the main town centres to compete “as destinations in their own right”.
The loss of access to EU funding has been described as a threat to tourism development. Other threats include the failure to completely recover from the pandemic, high levels of car dependence and competition with nearby destinations with a “more rounded offer” such as Gower, Cowbridge and the Afan Valley.
What’s the plan?
There are four “types of visitors” the plan seeks for Bridgend to cater to, each with different priorities.
- Day visitors – Maintain local events programmes, focus on improving the range of accommodation on offer and “promote place-making”.
- Staying visitors – Promote local food and drink, “get the basics right”, offer authentic experiences and offer year-round outdoor recreational pursuits.
- Special interest – Promote local heritage, encourage the TV and film industry to view Bridgend as a viable filming location and develop a new Visit Bridgend website and a distinctive brand for the county.
- Tourism trade – Promote environmental excellence in golf tourism and walking/cycling.
