Heritage Minister Alun Ffred Jones has formally announced the £10 million EU Funded ‘Destination Marketing’ project that will allow Visit Wales to further enhance its marketing of Wales as a holiday destination over the next three years.
The focus of Visit Wales’ additional work will be those visitors who haven’t visited Wales for at least three years, or who have never visited before. The campaign is a continuation of the Wales: For Proper Holidays initiative which was launched last summer. This features real visitors to show the wide range of cultural and active experiences that families and other visitors can enjoy across Wales.
The funding, which includes £4.4m from the European Regional Development Fund, will also enable Visit Wales to extend its advertising on TV, ensuring that Wales is as visible as possible on people’s TV screens. Visit Wales research has shown that more people remember seeing a Wales TV advert than adverts for any other destination in the UK.
The Wales: For Proper Holidays campaign is achieving its performance targets of increasing awareness of Wales as a tourism destination and of stimulating visits to Wales. The number of potential visitors who are aware of Wales as a tourism destination is around 15% up on 2009 and those who are aware of Visit Wales campaigns are up 12% on 2009.
The Heritage Minister, said:
“I’m delighted to be able to announce this funding for Visit Wales marketing. Tourism is vital to the Welsh economy and this funding will enable us to ensure that Wales remains a popular destination in an increasingly competitive industry.
“The Wales: For Proper Holidays campaign aims to convey a real feeling of what a holiday in Wales is all about. Many people will have preconceptions about what Wales has to offer as a holiday destination. We now hope to challenge those ideas to entice people back to Wales or inspire them to visit Wales for the first time. “
The primary target markets for campaign activity will be the UK and the Republic of Ireland. In order to make most efficient use of campaign investment, Visit Wales will ensure that, where appropriate, campaign materials are reused in priority short-haul markets: Germany, France and The Netherlands.
