'Maximise' cultural tourism call

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Wales needs to maximise its cultural icons, a review of the nation's heritage tourism potential recommends.

Cultural holidays alone are worth £120m, tourism officials estimate.

The review found culture was "fundamental" to tourism and should be a mainstream activity in all aspects of tourism development and marketing,

Heritage Minster Rhodri Glyn Thomas said no tourist should leave without a "genuinely Welsh [experience] in its content, spirit and sense of place".

Mr Thomas meets members of the cultural tourism steering group at the Hay Festival later.

The group will then meet monthly over the summer to produce an action plan.

The review for the assembly government was undertaken by Stevens and Associates.

They found that it was "essential" there was widespread recognition that culture was a "fundamental part of the experience for every visitor to Wales".

CORE REVIEW FINDINGS Wales needs to be distinctive and stand out and raise its profile internationallyThe cultural tourism experience in Wales is relatively weak, compared to international competitorsThe Olympics and European funding changes means Wales needs to look for alternative funding sourcesPromotion is confused and visitors are 'bombarded' with informationThere is duplication and 'glaring gaps' in details on websites, with too much concentration on landscape and outdoor activitiesLack of clarity in the roles and responsibilities of organisationsA need to engage the private sector'More serious attempts' to harness Wales' cultural strengths and iconsStreet art, sculptures, parks and all-year round activities are important in developing experienceInnovative and more engaging methods of presentation and interpretation needed at heritage sites<i>Source: Stevens and Associates - Review of Cultural Tourism in Wales, Final Report</i>

The 165-page report says that because Wales has relatively few cultural icons, it was even more important to maximise the impact of those that do exist.

The limited number of icons include castles, the Wales Millennium Centre and Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, the national parks and a few famous personalities ranging from Dylan Thomas to Tom Jones.

"There is a need to harness the power of the sum of the parts rather than to rely on 'headline acts'," said the review.

It also found that tourists can be bombarded with leaflets and information, "which dilutes the impact and undermines Wales' attractiveness as a cultural destination."

The review cites cities like Rome, Barcelona, Bilbao, Nashville and Stockholm - where partnerships have been effective in selling cultural tourism.

There is praise though for "innovative" tourism examples in Wales already, ranging from the traditional cottage holiday company Under the Thatch and the Melin Tregwynt wool mill in west Wales to the Faenol Festival in Gwynedd and the marketing of the Wye and Dyfi valleys.

The review, which sets out recommendations until 2015, states: "A failure to heed these lessons and to learn from best practice will give Wales a lagging tourism economy and, increasingly, an unattractive visitor destination."

Responding to the report, Mr Thomas, said: "For tourism in Wales to prosper the country's unique national, regional and local culture has to be fully embedded in all aspects of the tourism economy."

He described how Wales had to "aspire to equal the best cultural tourism experiences in the world."

He also said that tourism had to capitalise on its assets, including its heritage properties, museums, galleries, landscape, events and festivals, and promote food and drink and the Welsh language.

He added that local community festivals and events in Wales make a significant contribution to local economies and "give visitors a sense of place".