Sam Nayar, owner of boutique hotel Escape, has been appointed Chairman of the Destination Conwy Steering Group.
Conwy’s Destination Management Visionary document was launched by the Minister for Heritage, Alun Ffred Jones AM in November 2010.
A Destination Conwy Forum was established in November representing the Tourism trade from across Conwy. From this forum, a Destination Conwy steering group was set up comprising fifteen experienced members of the Tourism trade, from across Conwy County Borough, alongside advisors from the Heritage, Outdoors and Attractions sector.
The purpose of this group is to work closely with Conwy County Borough Council, to advise, support, take collective responsibility and set out key activities for the Destination Conwy Action Plan. One of the group’s first decisions was to appoint Sam Nayar as Chairman.
Sam Nayar said: “I have been active in raising the awareness of tourism related issues at local and national levels for a number of years. I sit on the executive committee of the Llandudno Hospitality Association; I also represent small tourism businesses on the Small Serviced Sector Forum for Wales. I am extremely positive that The Destination Conwy Steering Committee will help to deliver the Conwy Destination Management Plan.”
“I am extremely passionate about where I live and do business and believe that we can adopt a more coordinated approach to make the area a fantastic place to visit and to live and prosper and to sell its benefits much more strongly than we currently do.”
Cllr Goronwy Edwards, Conwy’s Cabinet Member for Communities, said: “I am delighted that Sam has agreed to lead this very important group, I have known him for some time and have been impressed by his fresh ideas, enthusiasm and willingness to work with the Council. I am also impressed with the line up of members from the trade who have been nominated to represent their areas on the Destination Conwy Steering group. We’re looking forward to working with them all to develop Destination Conwy.”
Tourism is an important part of the Conwy economy supporting 10,820 full time equivalent jobs directly or indirectly; bringing £559m revenue to the County’s economy annually (25% of welsh total); and supporting 70,000 beds spaces (24% of North Wales stock).
The GVA of Conwy is £1.4billion, of which the visitor economy contributes up to 40%.
Jim Jones, Section Head of Coastal Community Development, Conwy County Borough Council said:
“We have been working with the Tourism trade to develop the concept of Destination Conwy for some time, and the first Authority in Wales to launch a Destination Management Visionary Document to set out the way forward. Other places that have embraced this concept produce fully integrated Destination Management Plans based on the entire local authority footprint and identify within those plans their key destinations, towns, villages, environs and promote the unique sense of place of an area”.
