News
Steady growth for tourism industry
NEWLY-RELEASED figures show the tourism industry in Pembrokeshire has experienced steady growth over the last seven years – and that visitors to the County are spending significantly more than they used to.
The total amount spent by visitors in local businesses topped a whopping £585 million last year, up from £502 million in 2009. That’s an increase of 16.5%.
Most of the additional spend on accommodation is in the serviced accommodation sector – hotels, guesthouses, inns and B&Bs. The number of staying visitors has remained fairly stable at 4.3 million but they are spending more.
Visitors who come to Pembrokeshire for the day but don’t stay overnight remain at about 10% of the total number of visitors.
Spending on food and drink has grown from £95 million in 2009 to £111 million in 2015. It has slowly overtaken spending on holiday accommodation in the last 10 years, which totalled £106 million last year. However, the accommodation sector still employs more than twice as many people.
The figures are from tourism data produced annually for local authorities in Wales known as STEAM (Scarborough Tourism Activity Monitor).
Alan Turner, Tourism Marketing and Development Manager at Pembrokeshire County Council, said “It’s great to see tourism in Pembrokeshire continuing to prosper in an increasingly competitive and worldwide marketplace.
“The hard work of the Destination Pembrokeshire Partners will have played a significant role in generating this growth. The partnership includes the Pembrokeshire County Council’s tourism team, Pembrokeshire Tourism, PLANED and the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park.
“Our own marketing activity has been performing particularly well with the number of people accessing the Visit Pembrokeshire website topping 750,000 this year with three months still to go. PR activity and social media reach has also been extremely good.”
The positive trend appears to be continuing this year, with a combination of better weather and the uncertainty of Brexit encouraging visitors to ‘staycation’ in Wales. One prominent hotelier in Pembrokeshire even said it was ‘the best year the hotel has ever experienced’.
This optimism seems to be backed up by the Wales Tourism Business Barometer survey carried out by the Welsh Government during the summer. It suggested that the tourism industry in Wales has enjoyed a busy summer with ‘increased visitor levels across all industry sectors and regions of Wales’ and operators ‘fairly confident for the rest of the year’.
Keith Lewis, Cabinet Member at Pembrokeshire County Council responsible for Tourism, said “These results show that the tourism industry is working hard to provide the type and quality of service that modern visitors are looking for.”
Crime
Man arrested after police stop car on Pembroke Dock street
A MAN was arrested after police stopped a car on Dimond Street, Pembroke Dock, on Saturday afternoon (Apr 4).
Witnesses said the incident happened at around 5:00pm outside Bargain Booze, when two police vehicles – one marked and one unmarked – pulled over a motorist.
According to one bystander, officers searched the boot of the vehicle and arrested the man straight afterwards.
The same witness said what was suspected to be Class A drugs were found, although that detail has not been confirmed by police.
The man was taken away in a police car, while an officer drove the suspect’s vehicle from the scene.
The Herald has contacted Dyfed-Powys Police for comment.
Image: File photo
News
Here is an improved version in a cleaner news style:
Students to get wider access to EMA support
MORE students in Pembrokeshire could soon qualify for a £40-a-week education grant as the Welsh Government expands eligibility for the Education Maintenance Allowance.
From September, an extra 1,500 students aged 16 to 18 across Wales will be able to claim the weekly payment, which is designed to help young people stay on in education.
Eluned Morgan MS welcomed the change, saying it would allow more families in Pembrokeshire to benefit from the support.
She said: “Wales already has the most generous EMA offer in the UK. Under a Tory government it was scrapped in England, while Scotland and Northern Ireland offer students less money than in Wales.
“EMA helps young people with costs like books, transport and meals – all things which can affect the cost of living for families.
“Every young person deserves the opportunity to reach their potential, so I am proud that, because of Welsh Labour choices, more students will be supported to do so.”
More than 18,000 students in Wales currently receive EMA, which is available to learners aged 16 to 18 from households below a set income threshold.
The Welsh Government said the latest expansion will mean even more young people can access weekly support from September.
Eluned Morgan said: “The Welsh EMA is breaking down barriers for learners in Pembrokeshire. Everybody deserves an equal opportunity to access education, and providing £40 a week to those eligible is one of the ways in which the Welsh Labour Government is making this a reality.
“Hundreds of learners in Pembrokeshire claim their EMA every year. At £40 a week, Welsh Labour delivers the most generous offer in the UK.
“I know this money makes a real difference for students and their families with the cost of living.
“And, of course, the Welsh Government’s £1 bus fare scheme for young people is helping to make the EMA go even further for families across Pembrokeshire.
“I would urge all 16 to 18-year-olds and their families in the county to take a few minutes to check whether they qualify for support.”
EMA can be used to help with education-related costs including transport, meals and study supplies.
Applications for the new EMA offer open on Monday (Apr 27).
Students and families can check eligibility and apply through Student Finance Wales, or speak to their school or college.
If you want, I can also turn this into a fuller Pembrokeshire Herald article with headline and subheading.
News
Emergency services respond to incident in Haverfordwest town centre
EMERGENCY SERVICES were called to an incident in Haverfordwest town centre on Saturday morning (Apr 4), with police and ambulance crews attending near County Sports.
Pedestrians were asked to avoid part of the area while the incident was being dealt with, causing some disruption in the town centre.
A witness told The Herald they were walking towards Old Bridge when they were stopped from going through.
The witness said: “I was walking towards the Old Bridge and was told that I had to go around due to a medical emergency.”
The nature of the incident has not yet been officially confirmed.
The Herald understands the emergency response remained in place for some time as crews dealt with the situation.
We have contacted Dyfed-Powys Police for comment.
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Ryan Dansie
October 10, 2016 at 12:37 pm
According to the Bank of England inflation calculator £502 million in 2009 would be worth £607 million in 2015. Still not bad a slight decrease in real terms?
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