Tourism leaders in Mid Wales are calling for an urgent meeting with Deputy First Minister Huw Iranca-Davies and regional Members of the Senedd and MPs to discuss way of saving three Natural Resources Wales (NRW) visitor centres.
The NRW is planning to close the popular visitor centres at Bwlch Nant yr Arian and Ynyslas near Aberystwyth, and Coed y Brenin near Dolgellau with the loss of around 260 jobs to address a £13 million budget shortfall.
Now Zoe Hawkins, chief executive of MWT Cymru, the region’s largest independent tourism organisation representing over 550 businesses, is joining forces with Steve Hughson, Mid Wales Tourism Forum chairman and Suzy Davies, Wales Tourism Alliance (WTA) chairman, to call for an urgent meeting with politicians and the NRW.
They are seeking a solution to save the visitor centres, whether it requires a U-turn by the NRW, extra funding from the Welsh Government or finding different operators to keep the doors open. They insist that the centres must remain open until a solution is found.
The Deputy First Minister is being invited because the NRW is in his portfolio as Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, together with Ken Skates, Minister for North Wales.
Also being invited are Mabon ap Gwynfor and Liz Saville-Roberts, MS and MP for Dwyfor Meirionnydd, respectively, Elin Jones and Ben Lake, MS and MP for Ceredigion, respectively, Clare Pilman, NRW chief executive and Eifion Evans and Dafydd Gibbard, chief executives of Ceredigion and Gwynedd County Councils, respectively.
Tourism is the second largest employer in Mid Wales, playing a vital role in supporting towns, communities and families in Powys, Ceredigion and Southern Eryri (Snowdonia).
MWT Cymru members have expressed their concerns, describing the decision to close the visitor centres, which attract hundreds of thousands of visitors annually, as another blow to the rural economy.
“Mid Wales is a rural area with a delicate economy and decisions like this can have far-reaching consequences,” said Miss Hawkins. “It’s essential that NRW carefully considers the impact on our communities and finds new management partners to secure the future of these centres.
“We understand the need for cost-cutting, but it’s crucial that these decisions are made with full consideration of their impact on our region. Our communities rely on the tourism that these centres generate and closing them without a clear plan for the future is deeply concerning.
“There is a need for thoughtful decision-making that takes account of the specific needs and vulnerabilities of rural areas like Mid Wales.”
Mr Hughson added:
“Whilst I understand the business need for efficiency, I am surprised, particularly in the case of Bwlch Nant yr Arian, that it is a loss-making enterprise, as it always seems very busy and a great attraction for Mid Wales.
“The wider community benefits of employment in a rural area and the contribution these visitor centres make to the tourism sector and wider economy throughout the year – not just during peak season – must not be overlooked.
“Importantly, if the decision is to close, I would ask NRW to keep the centres open until a new owner is found, as business continuity is key. Once closed, we could lose this valuable asset forever.”
Mrs Davies said the WTA is urgently seeking information about visitor numbers at the three centres and the running costs. “The NRW must not make a final decision about the future of these centres until we get all these facts and explore all options for keeping them open,” she insisted.
