Obstacles to Tourism in Llandudno

[born2run]

And the dogs can't read anyway!   ZXZ

 

I love the sign that used to be (maybe still is) on the green near the Grand Hotel. 'This is for Guide dogs only' That's not getting read by either the dogs or the owners!

[wrex]

Biggest obs at the moment seems to be the parks dept,nem has just posted pics from Heulfre Gaedens and the place is disgusting and to think they shoved dweedle and dummer up there,why the cafe owner has;nt had the press up there i will never know.Who is going to sort this filth out before the summer has gone,Huelfre gardens a tourist destination and on Alice trail,joke big fat joke.l

[Michael]

  On the golf course I get a fairly substantial number of enquiries about the way to the gardens. Probably because of the footpath going up and down the Orme alongside and also because the golf course is described as being part of the gardens.
  Anyway my point is there are a number of people trying to find it. So ---  there are a number of people who are going to be very disappointed when they get there. So as attractions go it is not as if this is somewhere which has been forgotten and does not matter. Mike

[Mikethewatch]

I have noticed over the last few years there have been fewer and fewer visits from the council gardeners up there.
Its now got to the point where they clearly don't care.
Green house vandalised and now removed. Two shelters vandalised and now gone, one replaced with those wooden figures..
Grass uncut for weeks if not months, weeds everywhere and now getting regular visits from the local drop outs looking for somewhere to drink/take drugs.
The gardens department or whatever they might like to call themselves need a kick up the A***
Invalids walk is just as bad but I believe that's the responsibility of the Orme warden, who has been told about the problem but has done little to clear the pathway.

[Yorkie]

Bring on the goats!   They will soon make the place nice and tidy again - if there are any goats left, that is! 
 ZXZ

[wrex]

I have had no reply from the parks dept,no idea if the Heulfre lawns have been cut so we need mike to pop and have a look.

[Michael]

   Yorkie and Wrex, both talking about something that I do know something about.
   First, the Goats. Yes, there are certainly plenty of goats still left, although one sadly died a couple of weeks ago. I can guarantee that. My shovel can provide proof from this morning.
   But I didn't know the gardens had lawns. Never mind, I don't mind going down to have a look. But I won't be "Popping to have a look."
   Walk down three holes on the golf course, then 80 steps, several steep, with downwards sections of path. And I am there.  Maybe 10 minutes.
  The return journey? O.K. I will put a spurt on. Half an hour?

[Fester]

   Yorkie and Wrex, both talking about something that I do know something about.
    plenty of goats still left, although one sadly died a couple of weeks ago. I can guarantee that. My shovel can provide proof from this morning.
   

You buried it Mike???   

[Nemesis]

I had a reply from CCBC-- they will be in touch !    I won't hold my breath !

[Bri Roberts]

   Yorkie and Wrex, both talking about something that I do know something about.
   First, the Goats. Yes, there are certainly plenty of goats still left, although one sadly died a couple of weeks ago. I can guarantee that. My shovel can provide proof from this morning.
   

That is a coincidence, Mike.

Our youngest and her friend were driving round the Great Orme in the late evening a couple of weeks ago and witnessed a very serious attack on a goat by stray dog.

They later informed a couple of police officers in Mostyn Street who said they would let the Orme Warden know.

[DaveR]

Tourist numbers rise in Wales but they are spending less a survey reveals
Aug 12, 2014 10:30 By Tom Bodden
Trippers are spending less time and money on holiday destinations according to major survey

More tourists are coming to Wales from the rest of the UK but they are staying for shorter breaks and spending less money, a major survey revealed.

Figures for the first quarter of this year, show the ‘stay-cation’ in Wales is still popular with Britons as the number of domestic trips to Wales are up 3.2% to 1.51m while trips to England were down 11% and overall GB trips down 9.8%.

Wales now accounts for 7.8% of overnight trips within the UK, up from 6.8% in 2013. But the trips are getting shorter, the number of nights spent in Wales fell 11%, compared to 2013, although a smaller fall than England and GB as a whole.

The average length of stay was 2.66 nights in January to March compared with 3.08 nights in 2013. Spending was also down 14.6% from £246m in 2013 to £210m, a bigger fall than England (10.7%) and Great Britain as a whole (10.3%).

But day visits to Wales were up 25% to 40m for the first five months of 2014, compared to the same period last year with associated expenditure up by 5%. In comparison, for Great Britain as a whole, trips were up by just 1% and expenditure was on a par with 2013.

Welsh tourism minister Edwina Hart said: “As the summer holidays are now in full swing these figures are a welcome boost to show that the industry was still performing well at the beginning of the year after a very successful 2013.

“It seems that the industry managed to weather the storms which hit the UK at the beginning of the year and that quick action and investment from the Welsh Government meant repairs were carried out and tourism trade was not adversely affected. We also know that the Easter period was a busy one in Wales and there’s every indication that this will be reflected in the official figures.

“The tourism strategy for Wales has been in place for a year and we’re now seeing that we are on track to meet the challenging growth target of 10% by 2020.”

Occupancy rates were higher than 2013 for hotels, hostels, static caravans and touring pitches, while similar levels of occupancy to 2013 were recorded at Guest Houses/B&Bs and Self-catering properties.

Holiday or leisure trips made up just over half of all trips to Wales. Business visits made up only 10.9% of all overnight trips but the volume of business-related tourism was well down compared with the same period in 2013.

Some 89m tourism day visits were made by British residents to destinations in Wales in 2013, generating expenditure of just over £3bn. The average spend per person per day trip was £34, on a par with the average in Britain as a whole.

In North Wales, roughly half of day visits originate outside Wales, with some 4m visits from the nearby North West of England. People spend the least on average on a day out in North Wales £29. The annual average bed occupancy rate for North Wales was highest of all the Welsh regions at 49%.

But Suzy Davies the Tory shadow tourism minister said: “The domestic day trip market is an important part of Wales’ vibrant tourism industry and it is a poor reflection on Visit Wales that despite last year’s good weather, that fewer day trips were undertaken in Wales.

“Tourist day trip visits to Wales contribute millions of pounds to the Welsh economy and represent income and jobs to small tourism operators and the hospitality industry. These figures do not bode well for attracting those lucrative longer-stay and high-spend visitors, if Visit Wales cannot even tempt more day trippers from within Wales and neighbouring regions to take up our tourist offer.

“The potential of the day visit has long been recognised and the domestic market forms the strong focus of the Welsh Labour Government’s tourism strategy. That strategy is now over a year old. Has the Welsh Government’s strategy started to fail already?”

However, statistics show that foreign tourist visits to Wales are up by more than 30,000 on last year.

http://www.dailypost.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/tourist-numbers-rise-wales-spending-7597684

[Fester]

So,  the people will come... and in large numbers too.

The challenge is then, we must offer them something that they cannot resist spending their money on.

[DaveR]

Indeed. The tourism market is changing, and we must change with it to keep the visitor cash rolling in.

[craigollerton]

Indeed. The tourism market is changing, and we must change with it to keep the visitor cash rolling in.

Wales urgently needs a strategic review on it's marketing campaigns. I have been conducting research into tourism campaigns both locally and internationally and there is much Wales could learn from how other countries bring in the visitors. Of all the countries I have visited so far, personally I would take a leaf out of New Zealand's book.

I recently received two awards for tourism design concepts themed on 'Gateways to Wales', with particular emphasis placed on UK domestic transport hubs. It is all well and good telling people about your country domestically and abroad, but a successful campaign should follow visitors upon arrival and throughout their journey. This is something which I experienced whilst over in New Zealand.

Anyway doing my bit for Wales, Pictured: 1 3D physical poster (centred) which could confront you as you stepped off the train for example (the photograph does no justice in demonstrating this), 2D concept left, and 2D concept right (you might recognise the beach). They are all about showing the possibilities of what Wales has to offer, Mountains (road trips, breath taking views, walks for example), Sea (golden beaches, isolation, tranquillity, escapes, breath taking views).

The full-size mock gateway was constructed from one similar I found in the Brecons, this got me thinking along the lines of gateways to Wales, creating the feeling of stepping over or into Wales. The open-wind break onto the beach is a continuation of this theme. Similarly I have other running themes covering other aspects of Wales.


Copyright (C) Craig Ollerton


Copyright (C) Craig Ollerton


Hire Car Building, Cardiff Airport.
Copyright (C) Craig Ollerton.

[DVT]

Being critical now, but hopefully constructive!!!

When I used to go to the local camera club the "judges" often dismissed photos which featured a closed gate, saying the gate should be open to allow you through into the picture.  I think the same here, accepting there is a stile, but it does give the impression of having to climb over a fence to get to where you want to go.  Perhaps a half-open gate would be better?

Having got the visitors into Wales we need to sort out the many eyesores so they can appreciate the real beauty of the area properly - but that's another agument!