Wales’ tourism numbers have been dropping recently. Several members of an organisation revealed in a summer survey that they had experienced a decrease in visitor numbers.

The latest findings by the Welsh Association of Visitor Attractions (WAVA) have revealed that almost 60% of its members shared the same conclusion. This has led to questions about how they can promote sustainable tourism in the country.

Wales suffering from the weather

According to the survey’s findings, three key reasons were highlighted in the respondents’ suggestions for why visitor numbers decreased this summer. They pointed to economic issues and the fact that fewer people simply viewed the country as a tourism destination.

However, the main point was thought to have been the poor weather. It was a wet season, and the latest suggestions from Meteorologists don’t make for positive reading. It’s thought that the season will only get wetter in the future. This has led to discussions about how they can promote tourism and keep visitor numbers up. The idea of ‘weatherproofing Wales’ has been brought up.

Leaders have discussed what they could do to keep physical attractions open, such as providing shelter or drying facilities. However, could technology help them in a different way?

Moving attractions online

One suggestion is to move attractions online, if possible. While many attractions are physical, technology has helped make them accessible digitally. This option could be explored, especially as so many different industries have already done this.

Museums have started to offer exhibits that can be viewed online. Cultural sites have also gone online, allowing visitors to stay dry and obtain an immersive experience from the comfort of their homes. Even the entertainment sector has experienced moves online, with several games now available online. Bingo is a game that used to require participants to go to a physical hall. Now, they can stay in the dry and play at home by using a site that offers a variety of bingo rooms online to choose from.

Although it might reduce the footfall experienced within Wales, taking attractions online and making them virtual can keep them open. This can attract people from everywhere as they become more accessible.

Can taking attractions online and weatherproofing them boost The economy?

While footfall can potentially increase the spending generated by tourists in the area, the economy can still grow when using online services. Businesses with attractions that can be turned into digital offerings can still sell tickets as they would physically. However, there is the likelihood of other costs being lost (add-ons, etc.).

Nonetheless, Wales can’t let the economy suffer because of the weather, despite the poor conditions being the main reason cited for recent troubles. Tourism is said to generate almost £4 billion every year. If the weather continues to be a problem and put visitors off, this figure could start to dwindle, and it can be hard to recover from.

By ‘Weatherproofing Wales’ and its attractions, it can support tourism and keep it a potentially attractive visitor destination, even if some experiences have to be enjoyed online rather than in physical form.