Holidaymakers loved their trips to Wales last year

People who take a holiday in Wales say they’re very satisfied with their experiences, according to new research published by Visit Wales.

Tourists to Wales in 2022 highly rated their the trip across a wide range of categories, including the quality of the natural environment, feeling of safety, cleanliness of beaches, the welcome they received, and places to visit.

They were most satisfied with the ‘quality of the natural environment’ (83% very satisfied), followed by ‘feeling of safety’ (80%), ‘cleanliness of beaches’ (77%), ‘the welcome you received’ (76%) and ‘places to visit (75%).

The report also found that 78% of overnight visitors rated their experience in Wales as ‘excellent’, a notable rise on 2021 ratings.

The report from the Welsh Government’s tourism organisation reveals that 61% of visitors from the UK and Ireland who contacted Visit Wales last year ended up booking a holiday or short break here.

Seasonality

The government’s strategy aims to spread tourism benefits throughout Wales, encouraging increased spend and tackling seasonality by promoting Wales as a nation you can visit all year round.

Last year, 22% of people from the UK and Ireland who visited Wales said Visit Wales communications influenced their decision to take their holiday or short break in Wales.

The main reported changes to trips taken to Wales because of those contacts were making visits outside the summer season and visiting new and more places than originally planned.

Visit Wales communications also appear to have impacted future trips, with around 1 in 4 people who intend to visit Wales this year indicating that Visit Wales has already had an influence on their decision.

Deputy Minister for Arts and Sport, Dawn Bowden, who is responsible for tourism, said: “With the Easter holidays fast approaching, we’re looking forward to welcoming new and returning visitors to our beautiful country.

“We also want to encourage the people of Wales to discover parts of the country they may have never been to before – there’s something for everyone to see and visit in all parts of Wales.

“It’s excellent to see the positive influence Visit Wales marketing campaign are having on those visitors who have engaged with Visit Wales prior to their visit.

“Our Visit Wales’ marketing campaigns will continue to keep Wales front of mind, especially with the industry reporting a trend in much later bookings aligned to the economic climate.”