Garden cultivates a summer success

The National Botanic Garden of Wales is celebrating on two fronts today with the news of excellent summer visitor numbers and strong financial figures.

The Director of Garden, Huw Francis said the news was a real cause for celebration: “After a fabulous August with a visitor number that was 23% ahead of target, we are now 5% ahead of target for the year to date on admissions. This, coupled with the operating surpluses in the last two financial years, is truly excellent news.”

Mr Francis said the opening of the new Butterfly House, a new play park and other improvements in the Garden’s offer had had a big part to play in the recent successes. He also praised the vital role the Garden’s staff and volunteers had played: “The enthusiasm and dedication here is fantastic and it is huge credit to them that we are performing so well.”

Chair of Trustees Rob Jolliffe said: “It feels like the Garden has really turned a corner in terms of its finances and the fabulous figures for summer visitors. Huw and his team should be very proud of their achievements.”

Mr Francis added: “Our summer marketing efforts were aimed at boosting family visits so, by any measure, you have to say the campaign has been a big success.”

There’s more to it than just the Butterfly House, though, he said: “Plas Pilipala opened on July 1^st and has proved very popular but it is one part of an improving picture. Our busy, family-focused calendar of events, our new play park – complete with zipline and trampoline – are also proving a big draw and providing a compelling reason to return, too.”

In July this year, the Garden had 15,000 visitors which included a 36% increase in the number of family visits on last year.

This performance was eclipsed by the August numbers. Last year’s figure of 16,781 was topped by a massive 43% with a final August 2016 figure of 23,966 visitors. Underlying these numbers is a 68% increase in the number of family visitors enjoying the Garden and a 41% increase in the sale of memberships, which offer a year’s worth of free entry to the Garden for as little as £36.

The Garden’s success is part of a ‘good news’ picture for Carmarthenshire and the south west Wales region which, according to early estimates, has seen a double-digit increase in tourists.

The Carmarthenshire attraction’s statutory accounts will be made public in November but the Garden is reporting an operating surplus for 2015/2016, which follows on from a similarly positive position in 2014/15.