Success for Pembrokeshire tourism in 2013

An end of year survey has shown that tourism firms based in Pembrokeshire had a successful year in 2013.

At the end of every year the trade association of Pembrokeshire, which supports local tourism businesses such as luxury Pembrokeshire cottages, sends out a questionnaire to its members in a bid to get a picture of the overall performance of the holiday sector over the past year.

This year, the study found that 75% of Pembrokeshire Tourism members were happy with the performance of their business during 2013, as bookings and visitor numbers throughout the peak holiday times were high.

The research also found that 88% of respondents saw an increase in the number of visitors from 2012, with the vast majority of people coming from the UK but outside of Wales. The good weather in the summer of 2013 compared to the previous year is also thought to have had a positive impact on the tourism industry in the Pembrokeshire region.

Maudie Hughes, who is the chief executive of Pembrokeshire Tourism, says, “This year’s results have been very encouraging for the up and coming year. The increase in visitors and general positive feedback from our members is great to see.

“2014 is looking promising for the local tourism industry, and with new developments and visitor packages being introduced by a number of our members it is set to be an innovative and exciting year for Pembrokeshire as a holiday destination,” she added.The survey also revealed that 81% of members were confident about the year ahead and that Pembrokeshire will also see a number of new businesses and developments built in 2014 as the tourism sector begins to strengthen.

Observers have welcomed this positive news for Pembrokeshire, with family holiday cottages in Tenby and other accommodation types expected to improve their visitor numbers further during the coming year.

Image Credit: David Evans (flickr.com)