It’s one of Britain’s most enchanting but least-known regions and now someone’s got the job of putting it firmly on the map.
That someone is Shelly Barratt who has just been appointed Business Development Officer for the Clwydian Range Tourism Group.
The post is funded by rural regeneration agency Cadwyn Clwyd and the Clwydian Range Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Sustainable Development Fund.
Well-travelled Shelly, 38, has seen a lot of the world but has her roots firmly in the shadows of the Clwydian Range: “I’m from Ruthin and went to school there at Ysgol Brynhyfryd and now live in Prestatyn,” she said.
“It’s very exciting. Tourism brings £2.1 billion into the North Wales economy and while other tourist areas have struggled, visits to North Wales are up 7.4 per cent in the last two years.
“The Clwydian Range is a great product and we have almost a hundred really committed businesses which are members of the Tourism Group so it is about how we work together to develop ideas and implement them.
“We need to help market the businesses and make sure that visitors enjoy themselves and keep coming back and telling their friends about us.
“Those businesses represent such a wide spectrum from bed and breakfasts to caravan parks and from abseiling to walking and mountain biking. There’s just so much to do here.”
The contract has been funded to the tune of £21,600 by Cadwyn Clwyd from the Rural Development Fund for Wales 2007-2013, which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and the Welsh Government.
Ceri Hughes, Cadwyn Clwyd’s Rural Tourism Officer, said: “This is a vital role in the tourism industry which is a hugely important sector for North East Wales.
“The Clwydian Range is a fantastic amenity and offers so much to visitors and local residents and it is vital that we make the most of it in a sustainable way.”
Shelly, whose parents, David and Elvira, run the highly-rated restaurant with rooms, Barratts at Ty’n Rhyl in Rhyl, graduated in public relations and marketing at Leeds University and worked as an outdoor pursuits instructor in Snowdonia.
She said: “I’ve travelled the world and been to Australia, the USA, France, Greece and Austria and worked in the outdoor tourism industry and just naturally become involved with marketing.
“Here we have a great product and 100 micro businesses involved in it and we want to get that message out there.”
Shelly’s remit will be to help the Clwydian Range Tourism Group access funding, promote the Tourism Group and Clwydian Range websites, www.visitclwydianrange.org.uk and www.clwydianrangeaonb.org.uk and rural Denbighshire, provide advice, manage project and organise events and training opportunities for those involved in the tourism industry.
The Clwydian Range AONB is only the second area in Wales to gain the coveted Europarc Charter for Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas Status and Vanessa Warrington, Denbighshire County Council Countryside Officer, said: “The dramatic and rich landscape of the Clwydian Range makes it stand out within the family of AONBs in the UK and yet it’s the least known.
“That is an asset because we’re relatively less crowded and special features such as Moel Famau’s Jubiliee Tower with panoramic views and our stunning hillforts can be reached within a few hours walk.
Jeff Morgan, Chair of the Clwydian Range Tourism Group added, “We are taking inspiration from the Forest of Bowland in Lancashire where they have been very successful in working together with local businesses to promote the area and improve their environmental and economic sustainablility.
“There is money in protected landscapes and in tourism and they have ended up running a really successful sustainable rural tourism business association– it’s worked for them and we’re hoping it can work for us here.
“We’re ready to shout about it now but we don’t just want people to come here, we want them to come here and enjoy it and respect it.”
Cadwyn Clwyd continues to look for innovative projects to support which help safeguard the area’s natural, cultural and heritage assets and maximise their economic potential for local businesses and communities.
To find out more or share your idea for a project call 01824 705802 or email [email protected]
