Wales launches ‘Year of Discovery’

Tourism chiefs in Wales on Tuesday launched 2019 as their Year of Discovery to encourage international visitors to discover hidden gems and world-famous attractions. 

It follows a successful Year of the Sea campaign during 2018. The aim this year is to encourage people to rediscover Wales, as well to attract people who have never visited Britain's Land of Song.

A multimedia international campaign on the theme of discovery is to run throughout 2019, aimed at domestic and international markets. 

Dafydd Elis-Thomas, Wales' deputy minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism said: "In 2019, we want to encourage our visitors to discover Wales anew, to discover new parts of Wales and to try out enriching outdoor, adventure and cultural experiences across the country.

"Wales is full of hidden corners; as well as world-famous attractions. And so the challenge is set to visit places you have never been before, or to try something for the very first time. Go coasteering or zip-lining; tick off more of Wales's 600 castles from your must-see list; or to visit one of our galleries or museums to learn something new about our past."

As well as encouraging the people of Wales to discover new corners of its landscape, VisitWales, the official tourism agency, is also encouraging international visitors to explore more of Wales. It has produced three national touring routes with loops and detours of discovery to help visitors on their way.

VisitWales said its 2018 Year of the Sea campaign generated at least $450 million for the Welsh economy.

Latest figures from the Welsh government in Cardiff show that in the first six months of 2018 around 430,000 trips were taken in Wales by international visitors, spending around $215 million.