TWO well-known Welsh entrepreneurs have teamed up to provide a unique offer for the tourism and hospitality sectors in Wales.

PR and marketing expert Robert Petersen and sustainable tourism specialist Nicki Page are working together to transform the way businesses in the sectors promote themselves and their sustainability.

Using their knowledge and experience, the pair plan to offer tailored packages of support to government bodies, charities and tourism and hospitality businesses in Wales to help them shout about their climate credentials and attract visitors and investment from across the world.

Nicki Page said: “Climate change is having a significant impact upon the world, driving businesses and organisations of all sizes to adopt more sustainable practices.

“Unless tourism and hospitality businesses accelerate their implementation of sustainable operations, they risk regulatory intervention and the loss of customers and investment.

“Our mission is to help tourism and hospitality businesses and organisations in Wales to change the way they think, to help them rewrite their narratives to promote themselves and their sustainability.”

Rob Petersen said: “Tourism is a vital industry for Wales, bringing hundreds of millions of pounds into the Welsh economy every year. But since Covid the industry has struggled and visitor numbers are down, and the planned visitor levy could impact this further.

“That’s why it’s vital that Wales’s tourism and hospitality brands, from hotels and restaurants to campsites and cafes, commit to a sustainable agenda that is good for people and planet.

“Most importantly, they must tell the world what they are doing and why they are doing it, and that’s what Nicki and I are here to help them with.

‘’With the emergence of AI as a key tool in planning and delivering marketing and PR campaigns, we will use all the relevant media channels to ensure that the sector’s key messages are delivered to target audiences in Wales and beyond.’’

Ms Page is the founder of TLC Harmony, a consultancy business that helps tourism, travel and hospitality businesses comply with sustainability requirements by measuring and addressing their impacts on climate and biodiversity.

She has worked with governments and tourism providers across the world, delivering solutions that balance the demands of business with the needs of local communities.

In Wales, she recently worked on a sustainability programme with Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, evaluating the resort’s environmental impact and its greenhouse gas emissions.

Mr Petersen has had a long career in marketing, advertising and public relations, and ran one of Wales’ oldest public relations firms, Petersens PR, for more than 20 years. He has worked with many tourism and hospitality clients, including Bluestone Resort, the former Wales Tourist Board, and most recently the Mercure Hotel Newport.

Mr Petersen and Ms Page first met in the 1990s when they worked together on an award-winning communications and marketing campaign for the launch of the St David’s Hotel and Spa in Cardiff Bay, Wales’s first 5-star hotel.

Ms Page said: “I have known Rob for more than 30 years, and over that time I have seen him lead the marketing and PR scene in Wales with his professional and innovative approach to strategy and content.

“I am delighted we are once again working together to shake up the Welsh tourism and hospitality sectors with the aim of putting sustainability at the top of the agenda.

“Together, we will bring our shared passion and creativity to this purpose-driven transformation mission.”

DWR CYMRU has been slammed by a councillor who warned people “could have died” after thousands were left without water.

Tens of thousands of residents across the county were left without water after a mains burst at a treatment plant in Dolgarrog last week.

Welsh Water said supplies were restored to homes and businesses on Monday morning.

The chairwoman of Conwy’s finance committee slammed Dwr Cymru during a meeting at the council’s Bodlondeb HQ on Monday.

Old Colwyn councillor Cheryl Carlisle thanked volunteers and council staff for pulling together before calling for a public inquiry into the crisis.

Security guards

Cllr Carlisle claimed those in poor health had been left without water and said security guards at water stations had turned people away with small children.

“I’d like to take the time to thank everyone that’s being involved in the crisis in Conwy over the last six days, the selfless volunteers, everyone that provided water and help to the elderly and vulnerable, and also the engineers for fixing the problem and our social care staff and the other staff who have helped keep our nursing homes going, our care homes, and (looked after) the most vulnerable,” she said.

“On a different note, there will need to be an inquiry, won’t there, into the crisis response from Dwr Cymru.

“You cannot fault the engineers, but the delays in basic organisation, like setting up the water stations.

“It was 48 hours in my particular community. Without the volunteers, it would have been very, very serious, indeed, for those with health conditions.”

She added: “The priority lists of Dwr Cymru did not work.

“There were people on it that were still undelivered (not had water delivered) as was last night [Sunday], cancer patients, dialysis patients. This is completely unacceptable.

“Security guards turned away members (of the public) with little children. That was absolutely unacceptable as well.

“I think this has brought out the very best in people and, in just a few, the very worst. There needs to be a clear disaster plan going forward.”

Cllr Carlisle then insisted an inquiry was needed after Cllr Goronwy Edwards suggested a review.

She added: “I think it needs to be something more than a review, given the seriousness.

“People could have died, those with (serious health conditions). I don’t think we should downplay anything until everyone has come through this intact.”

Conwy Council leader Cllr Charlie McCoubrey also thanked those councillors and members of the public “who had gone above and beyond to look after their communities”.

He added the authority was now in a recovery phase with some households still without water and some schools affected.

“Clearly, with any major incident, questions need to be asked about could this have been prevented, was the response adequate, and what happens in the future in terms of how we coordinate things and prevent incidents like that happening again?”

Cllr McCoubrey said he was working with Welsh Government to get answers from Dwr Cymru.

Report by Richard Evans, Local Democracy Reporter

A CALL to let a 950-herd north Pembrokeshire dairy farm keep a farm shed built without permission over a decade ago is expected to be approved later this month.

In an application recommended for conditional approval at Pembrokeshire Coast National Park’s development management committee meeting of January 29, Trewern Farms Ltd is seeking permission for the retention of the agricultural building and lay down area at Trewern Farm, Felindre Farchog.

The application is part of a wider complex planning history associated with the site.

A report for Park planners says: “Trewern Farm is operated as a zero grazing style dairy farm with 304 hectares located on two separate parcels of land, one at Trewern with the remainder being at Penpedwast, adjacent to Castell Henllys. The farm has a dairy herd of approximately 950 cows.

“Trewern Farm has expanded significantly over recent years with many of the buildings and structures on site having been erected without the prior benefit of planning permission, and having since been regularised through a combination of retrospective applications and certificates of lawfulness.

“The building subject of this application is believed to have been constructed in 2014. The site currently comprises an agricultural shed immediately adjoining another shed and is used for cubicle housing.

“A slurry lagoon, silage clamps and 12 of the newer agricultural buildings are now lawful as Certificates of Lawfulness were granted for these whilst the Authority was awaiting an Environmental Impact Assessment to be submitted by the applicants for the 2015 planning application to regularise the unauthorised buildings.

“However, this is the last of the outstanding agricultural buildings which are not lawful, and an enforcement notice was served in May 2018 requiring its removal. This notice was appealed in November 2019 and is currently being held in abeyance by the Planning Inspectorate.”

It says the building referred to in the application “is described as being designed to house cattle in a series of cubicles, and forms part of a longer set of buildings running along the southern section of the farming complex,” adding: “The livestock numbers are not proposed for increase as a result of this application but will be as secured [by a planning consent] restricted to no more than 960 milking cows with 1020 maximum excluding calves.”

Local community council Nevern has previously said it has “grave concerns” about the application, asking, amongst other things, how the 960 cattle limit will be policed and important nearby woodland will be protected.

The application was previously recommended for approval at the park’s December meeting, but was deferred as not all received documentation had been published on the national park’s planning website.

The application is now returning to the January meeting, again recommended for conditional approval.