Carmarthenshire’s record-breaking tourism figures revealed | Ffigurau twristiaeth uchaf Sir Gaerfyrddin erioed

Carmarthenshire’s record-breaking tourism figures revealed

TARGETED promotion of Carmarthenshire as a world-class visitor destination has seen record-breaking tourist numbers over the last year, helping boost the local economy by more than £434million.

Independent figures, put together for Carmarthenshire County Council, show a 7.8 per cent increase in visitor numbers during 2017 compared to the previous year.

Close to three and a half million people visited Carmarthenshire last year alone, and over one million stayed overnight in the county for the very first time.

The council’s Marketing and Media team has been working closely with businesses in the tourism and hospitality sector to ensure everyone benefits from the boom, including hotels, bed and breakfasts, tourist attractions, activity providers, restaurants, pubs, businesses and retailers.

It is also running targeted campaigns across the UK, Europe and further afield to promote the Discover Carmarthenshire website and This Is Carmarthenshire brand.

The authority is working with partners to deliver investment projects that will support the tourism industry in the future too, including regeneration of Pendine’s waterfront, major cycling routes and facilities including the Tywi Valley Path and the National closed Road Circuit at Pembrey.

Investment has also been delivered to support towns and rural communities; leisure, culture and activity offers.

The council continues to support the growth of some of the county’s most popular visitor attractions, such as the National Botanic Garden of Wales which has just opened a new bird of prey centre as an added attraction for its growing visitor numbers; and Pembrey Country Park which has become a popular choice for camping and major sporting events – chosen to host the prestigious Tour of Britain road cycling race in September.

Carmarthenshire is becoming a familiar backdrop for film and television dramas too – Dame Judy Dench and Eddie Izzard are amongst the latest stars seen filming scenes in the county, hot on the heels of popular BBC drama Keeping Faith.

Cllr Peter Hughes Griffiths, Carmarthenshire Council’s Executive Board Member for Culture, Sport and Tourism, said: “Having seen and felt the buzz around Carmarthenshire as a growing visitor destination over the last few years, these record-breaking figures are welcome but come as no surprise.

“Working in partnership with tourism organisations across the county, we have continued to pull out all the stops to raise Carmarthenshire’s profile as a world class visitor destination and a county that’s well-equipped to host high-quality events. This work is reflected in these figures, which augur very well for coming years, but the challenge now is to make even more improvements to our thriving tourism industry.

“As well as major developments and events on their way to Carmarthenshire, work between the council’s tourism and planning teams will continue to take place alongside our tourism businesses and other tourism organisations to meet their requirements for infrastructure improvements. This will benefit millions of visitors every year, as well residents throughout Carmarthenshire.”

Cllr Emlyn Dole, Leader of Carmarthenshire County Council, added: “Since 2007, the value of the tourism industry to Carmarthenshire’s economy has risen by about £150 million. It now directly employs over 6,000 people, becoming one of Carmarthenshire’s largest industry sectors, so these record-breaking figures for 2017 are a fantastic boost.”

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Ffigurau twristiaeth uchaf Sir Gaerfyrddin erioed

MAE’R gwaith o hyrwyddo Sir Gaerfyrddin fel cyrchfan o’r radd flaenaf i ymwelwyr wedi arwain at nifer uwch nag erioed o dwristiaid dros y flwyddyn ddiwethaf, gan helpu i roi hwb i’r economi leol o fwy na £434 miliwn.

Mae ffigyrau annibynnol, a luniwyd ar gyfer Cyngor Sir Caerfyrddin, yn dangos cynnydd o 7.8 y cant yn nifer yr ymwelwyr yn ystod 2017 o gymharu â’r flwyddyn flaenorol.

Roedd bron i dair miliwn a hanner o bobl wedi ymweld â Sir Gaerfyrddin y llynedd yn unig, a thros un filiwn wedi aros dros nos yn y sir am y tro cyntaf.

Mae tîm Marchnata a’r Cyfryngau y cyngor wedi bod yn gweithio’n agos gyda busnesau yn y sector twristiaeth a lletygarwch er mwyn sicrhau bod pawb yn elwa ar y ffyniant, gan gynnwys gwestai, lletyau gwely a brecwast, atyniadau twristiaeth, darparwyr gweithgareddau, bwytai, tafarndai, busnesau a manwerthwyr.

Mae’r tîm hefyd yn cynnal ymgyrchoedd penodol ledled y DU, Ewrop ac ymhellach i ffwrdd i hyrwyddo gwefan Darganfod Sir Gâr a brand Dyma Sir Gaerfyrddin.

Mae’r awdurdod yn gweithio gyda phartneriaid i gyflwyno prosiectau buddsoddi a fydd yn cefnogi’r diwydiant twristiaeth yn y dyfodol hefyd, gan gynnwys adfywio glannau Pentywyn, cyfleusterau a llwybrau beicio pwysig gan gynnwys Llwybr Dyffryn Tywi a’r Gylchffordd Gaeedig Genedlaethol ym Mhen-bre.

Buddsoddwyd hefyd er mwyn cefnogi trefi a chymunedau gwledig; cynigion hamdden, diwylliant a gweithgareddau.

Mae’r cyngor yn parhau i gefnogi twf rhai o atyniadau ymwelwyr mwyaf poblogaidd y sir, megis Gardd Fotaneg Genedlaethol Cymru sydd newydd agor canolfan adar ysglyfaethus newydd fel atyniad ychwanegol ar gyfer ei nifer cynyddol o ymwelwyr; a Pharc Gwledig Pen-bre, sydd bellach yn fan poblogaidd ar gyfer gwersylla a digwyddiadau chwaraeon mawr – dewiswyd y parc i gynnal ras beicio ar y ffordd nodedig Taith Prydain ym mis Medi.

Erbyn hyn mae Sir Gaerfyrddin yn lleoliad cyfarwydd ar gyfer ffilmiau a dramâu teledu hefyd – mae Dame Judy Dench ac Eddie Izzard ymhlith y sêr diweddaraf a welwyd yn ffilmio golygfeydd yn y sir, ar ôl drama boblogaidd y BBC, Keeping Faith.

Dywedodd y Cynghorydd Peter Hughes Griffiths, Aelod o Fwrdd Gweithredol Cyngor Sir Caerfyrddin dros Ddiwylliant, Chwaraeon a Thwristiaeth:  “Ar ôl bod yn dyst i’r holl fwrlwm yn Sir Gaerfyrddin wrth iddi ffynnu fel cyrchfan i ymwelwyr dros y blynyddoedd diwethaf, rwy’n falch iawn o’r ffigurau hyn ond nid ydynt o syndod mawr i mi.

“Drwy weithio mewn partneriaeth â sefydliadau twristiaeth ledled y sir, rydym wedi parhau i wneud ein gorau glas i godi proffil Sir Gaerfyrddin fel cyrchfan o’r radd flaenaf i ymwelwyr, ac fel sir dra chymwys i gynnal digwyddiadau o safon uchel. Adlewyrchir yr holl waith caled yn y ffigurau, sy’n argoeli’n dda iawn ar gyfer y blynyddoedd nesaf, ond yr her bellach yw gwneud mwy fyth o welliannau i’n diwydiant twristiaeth llwyddiannus.

“Yn ogystal â’r datblygiadau a digwyddiadau sylweddol sy’n dod i Sir Gaerfyrddin, bydd timau twristiaeth a chynllunio y cyngor yn parhau i weithio gyda’n busnesau twristiaeth a sefydliadau twristiaeth eraill i ddiwallu eu hanghenion ar gyfer gwella seilwaith. Bydd hyn o fudd i filiynau o ymwelwyr bob blwyddyn, yn ogystal â thrigolion ledled Sir Gaerfyrddin.”

Dywedodd y Cynghorydd Emlyn Dole, Arweinydd Cyngor Sir Caerfyrddin: “Ers 2007, mae gwerth y diwydiant twristiaeth i economi Sir Gaerfyrddin wedi cynyddu gan oddeutu £150 miliwn. Mae’r diwydiant bellach yn cyflogi dros 6,000 o bobl yn uniongyrchol, a bellach yn un o sectorau diwydiant mwyaf Sir Gaerfyrddin, felly mae’r ffigurau diweddaraf am 2017 yn hwb wych.”

Ewch i wefan Darganfodsirgar.com er mwyn cael ysbrydoliaeth, llefydd i aros, pethau i’w gwneud a chanllaw cynhwysfawr ‘Be Sy’ Mlaen’.

STEAM SUMMARY 2017

CARMARTHENSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL