Denbighshire Tourism Forum a great success

Over 75 people attended the recent Tourism Forum at the Oriel House in St Asaph.

The Forum formed part of the Council’s March for Business campaign and provided a great opportunity for delegates to hear about the latest tourism news and meet other like-minded businesses.

Delegates heard from a range of key speakers including Robyn Lovelock, Programme Manager for the Agri-food and Tourism Programme, Ambition North Wales, who presented on the progress and opportunities of the North Wales Growth Deal. Alice Kirwan and Rachel Sumner-Lewis highlighted the Working Denbighshire and Work Start Programme and established new contacts with local employers which they hope will lead to work placement and job opportunities for their participants.

Finally, attendees were treated to an inspiring question and answer session with Jenny and Tom Williams from The Laundry Retreat in Llanrhaeadr who spoke about their story and how the business has grown as well as sharing useful tips for fellow local businesses.

Attendees were able to visit a variety of information stands including Visit Wales, Clwydian Range & Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Business Wales, North Wales Tourism, Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod and the Development Bank of Wales.

The Council’s Tourism Team organise two Forums a year for local businesses, community groups and stakeholders and the next one is planned during the Autumn.

Councillor Win Mullen-James, Lead Member for Local Development and Planning said: “I’m pleased to hear this event was well attended as it’s a valuable opportunity for everyone in the sector to get together and share their knowledge and plans to ensure sustained future tourism growth.”

Llwybrau: Wales by Trails

Back in January Visit Wales announced 2023 as the year of trails and invited visitors and the people of Wales to curate their own epic trails over the coming months.

Wales, by Trails picks up from the success of Visit Wales’ five themed years to date – adventure, legends, sea, discovery, outdoors. The themed years highlight Wales as a welcoming, varied and inclusive destination that is open all year round.

We believe the Trails theme is perfect for our part of Wales in Denbighshire.  In a post-pandemic world, research shows people are seeking curated experiences that reconnect them to heritage, culture, nature and community.

Moel Famau Country Park

The Llwybrau campaign went live from 9 January on TV across the UK and in-Wales, so you should start seeing the adverts on TV soon. The year is all about finding forgotten treasures, embracing journeys of the senses and making memories along pathways around local food, attractions, activities, landscapes and coastlines.

We hope to inspire visitors throughout the year to create their own trails in our little our corner of Wales and to boost the economy by supporting local businesses. We’ve created a new inspirational booklet for 2023 which will be widely distributed to tempt visitors as well as being available digitally. We have produced new films, inspirational trail ideas from local people and plenty of blogs and social media inspiration to make the #year of trails one to remember.

Familiarisation trips a great success with local businesses

A series of familiarisation trips to a variety of places across North East Wales have proved very popular with local businesses. Designed to highlight interesting and key destinations to local tourism businesses; the trips have been well received enabling businesses, local groups and volunteers to share the knowledge and encourage visitors to delve deeper into the local history, culture, landscapes, attractions, and hospitality venues.

Organised by the Council in partnership with Wrexham and Flintshire Councils, over 60 businesses and 170 people have attended in total. The 6 trips have included:

• Walking the 11-mile Pontcysyllte Aqueduct & Canal World Heritage Site;
• Behind the scenes tours at Theatr Clwyd and Bailey Hill in Mold;
• Visiting the castles of Denbigh, Rhuddlan, Chirk and Flint;
• City centre tour of Wrexham exploring Ty Pawb;
• Xplore! Wrexham Museum; and
• A tower climb at St Giles Parish Church.

The final few trips have included visits to Ruthin, Denbigh, St Asaph and Bodelwyddan to learn more about the local arts and heritage, calling at Nantclwyd y Dre, The Old Courthouse, Gaol and Craft Centre in Ruthin, Denbigh Library and Town Walls, St Asaph Cathedral, and the nearby Marble Church. The group discovered more about the coastal venues of Rhyl, Prestatyn and Talacre during the final trip as well as a final stop at the munitions works in the village of Rhydymwyn which played a key part in our wartime history. Local tour guides were recruited to guide each trip.

Sarah Jones, Blue badge Guide for Wales who has guided and attended many of the trips said: “Thank you so much for all the excellent familiarisation trips. I was really pleased to visit the coast recently as it’s an area I want to discover more about. It’s been really useful to revisit many local places to learn more about the local history and culture which will be of great use to me in future tours. I hope the trips can continue as they are so beneficial to all the various businesses in Denbighshire and help to promote the area so well.”

Richard Hughes, owner of Bracdy Campsite and Cottage near Denbigh commented: “A huge thank you for organising all the informative trips. They have provided lots of ideas for me to pass on to our visitors who are already enjoying the Vale of Clwyd and surrounding areas. All the guides have been very knowledgeable and were able to answer any questions. It’s also been great to meet other businesses and share experiences.”

This project has received funding through the Welsh Government Rural Communities - Rural Development Programme 2014-2020, which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Welsh Government.

The trips form part of the wider Denbighshire Tourism Ambassador Scheme which provides people with training and knowledge about the special qualities of the county. A series of online modules on a variety of themes is available to everyone, free of charge. This includes walking, cycling, history, arts, Welsh language, coast, sustainable and food tourism. There are 3 levels of awards – bronze, silver, and gold, depending on the number of modules completed. Denbighshire was the first to launch an online course of its kind in Wales. Eryri and Brecon Beacons National Parks, Conwy, Gwynedd, Ynys Môn, and Carmarthenshire have since launched courses and Flintshire, Wrexham and Ceredigion are busy preparing to launch later this year. For more information on the scheme and to sign-up please visit www.denbighshireambassador.wales

A trail for everyday

Did you know every town in Denbighshire has a trail of its own?

There are eight in total, one for each day of the week plus a spare!

They are all packed with historical interest and point out fascinating facts as you walk.

As our towns are different so are our trails. They all take about an hour and half with plenty of shops and cafes to tempt you along the way.

The Denbighshire Tourism Team is committed to keeping these updated and has already updated 5 of the 8 this year alone. They are distributed for free to local businesses and our Tourism Information Centres, so don’t forget to pick one up and give them a go. We’d love to hear which is your favourite.

As a special feature Rhyl has its very own Audio Tour to engage visitors during the coastal defence work which can be listened to here.