Tourism’s annual value to the Swansea Bay economy has topped the £600m mark for the first time.
New figures show visitors spent £609m throughout 2023 in the Swansea, Mumbles and Gower area.
The STEAM figures (Scarborough Tourism Economic Activity Monitor) prepared for Swansea Council also show that visitor numbers increased to more than 4.7m last year with the tourism industry supporting 5,470 jobs in the area.
Swansea Bay, as a visitor destination, offers an increasingly diverse range of indoor and outdoor attractions and events all year-round.
Those now boosting visitor figures include the city’s new Penderyn Distillery visitor centre in Landore which opened last year.
New projects and business openings over the next few years bring further optimism, according to the council.
Robert Francis-Davies, the council’s cabinet member for investment, regeneration, events and tourism, said: “Tourism injects more than £600m into the Swansea Bay, Mumbles and Gower economy every year.
“Last year saw visitor spend up five per cent year on year, visitor numbers up 11.5 per cent and the number of jobs supported by tourism up 5.4 per cent.
“This all demonstrates the economic value of a sector that also supports so many jobs.
“The successful results are a reflection of the collective and collaborative way that the sector works locally – including the private, public and third sectors.
“The council will continue to work closely alongside local tourism businesses and other organisations and play our part in continuing to improve the quality and attractiveness of our fabulous location as a visitor destination.
“We’re determined to keep on giving people more reasons to visit and to maintain this momentum into the peak summer season of 2024 and beyond, we’re enjoying another big line-up of events, as Swansea becomes one of the UK’s biggest stages for summer events.”
Jordan McGuire, director of The Bunkhouse city centre music venue, said: “Swansea’s rich cultural diversity, made with the rhythms of music, art and community, fuels its visitor economy.
“Through this, Swansea’s creative energy resonates, enriching our cultural landscape, breathing life into the local economy.”
The area’s visitor offering includes a full range of watersports, such as surfing and stand-up paddleboarding, the Gower Coast Path, cultural and heritage venues, leisure attractions, globally renowned award-winning beaches, and a rich coastal heritage.
This year, once again, Swansea is enjoying an impressive line-up of major events including the third IRONMAN 70.3 Swansea and World Triathlon Para Series, a series of big-name concerts in Singleton Park, Take That at the Swansea.com Stadium, the annual Wales Airshow and the annual Admiral Swansea Bay 10k.
Tens of thousands of people now visit the Swansea Arena which opened in 2022.
Positivity continues through 2024 thanks to a number of factors, including new cultural tourism projects funded by the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund. They include marketing support for live music, theatre, and cultural arts events, with partners including The Elysium, Bunkhouse, Founders & Co, Proud Mary and CU Mumbles.
New openings – including the Albert Hall, Palace Theatre and 71/72 Kingsway – are driving optimism, along with additions such as a new visitor centre recently opened at Penllergare Valley Woods, and a busy event programme, including Swansea International Jazz Festival, Gower Show and the Gower Walking Festival.
Swansea Council’s tourism marketing activity successfully promotes the area as a year-round destination, supporting businesses out of season through the promotion of walking holidays in autumn, wellbeing breaks during the winter season, and dog-friendly holidays in spring.
Successful marketing activity by the council’s tourism team, led by their Happy Place and Swansea Bay Trails campaigns, will continue to run and build on the success achieved so far from their online and offline campaigns delivered across the UK
Social media channels under the council’s Visit Swansea Bay banner continue to be seen by millions, with new campaign videos achieving more than a million views.
The tourism team will continue to promote Swansea Bay as a year-round destination, to support employment in the industry and the ongoing regeneration of Swansea will continue to boost visitor numbers and spend.
The council is working on bringing more hotel accommodation to the area following research that highlights the demand for new hotels in the city.