 |
|
| |
Did you know?
UK
- In the UK, tourism is one of the five largest industries worth £ 60 billion per year
WALES
- Tourism and travel are currently the largest industry in Wales
- Tourism contributes over £2 billion to the economy
- Two thirds of all UK visitors were in the age group 15-44
- There are 100,000 people employed in tourism in Wales and therefore 10% of all jobs in Wales, are supported directly or indirectly by tourist spending.
- South Wales received 3 million tourism trips from UK residents and overseas visitors
- Visitors from England accounted for 60% of all tourist trips taken, with expenditure of 74%.
- Welsh residents generated 30% of all trips but less than one quarter of expenditure.
- A seaside location was preferred for 42% of all holiday trips in South Wales
- 25% of all visitors preferred the countryside.
- 80% of all visitors visited the region by car with only 1% hiring.
- Activities are undertaken on 63% of holiday trips, with the most popular being walking
- People are tending to take more weekends and short breaks in the UK.
- Growth is due to more frequent holidays, rather than more people taking holidays.
- 24% of all consumers spending is on leisure.
- Overseas visitors to the area, account for a spend of £9.4million.
- UK visitors to the area, account for a spend of £28.1million.
- UK day visitors to the area, account for a spend of £115.9million.
- Families with children are important in peak season, although the 55+ age groups are more dominant off peak.
BRIDGEND COUNTY BOROUGH
- The overwhelming mode of travel to the area is currently by motor vehicle
- The M4 motorway is the main channel on entry whether it is from Ireland in the West or England in the East.
- Over 3 ½ million visitors come to Bridgend County Borough each year.
- £171 million spent
- Providing employment for well over 3000 people
- Tourism is presently therefore, a major industry for the County Borough
- 2002 saw an increase of 4% over the year before.
- 131,000 population
- Forecast to rise to just over 132,000 by 2006
- 70,500 acres
- Mid-way between Wales' capital city of Cardiff, and it's second City of Swansea.
- Habitation dates back 5000 years to Neolithic times
- By 500BC, local Celts were building Iron Age hill forts
- Many Welsh people today regard these Celtic tribes that as their true ancestors.
- Romans ruled here for 400 years before leaving Britain in the 5th Century.
- From the 9th to the 11th Century, Vikings plundered the coast from their base on the islands of Flatholm and Steepholm in the Bristol Channel.
- The Normans came and built a string of Castles including Coity, Ogmore and Newcastle
- In 1536 the Act of Union between England and Wales was instigated
- In medieval times, Pilgrims would stop off on their way to St. David's in West Wales
- Coal and Iron poured out of the Valleys, including Garw, Ogmore and Llynfi, and exported throughout the world.
- Bridgend County has ten miles of quality coastline.
- The principal port is Porthcawl, founded in the early 18th Century to transport iron and coal
BRIDGEND
- Bridgend stands at the confluence of three rivers: the Ogmore, Garw and Llynfi
- It has a population of 35,000
- In 1425 a little hump backed bridge was built linking the north and south banks of the river Ogmore
- Some say the name "Bridgend" came into being when the stone bridge was built
- Two of its arches were swept away in a flood in 1775
- It was rebuilt, but retains its original medieval 'hump-back'.
- The main centre of Bridgend lies on the north bank of the river
- Most of the town centre is now pedestrian only
- The old Victorian market hall has since gone, but the original market bell still hangs in the Rhiw shopping centre
- To the north of the town lies the giant McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Village, the only one of it's kind in South Wales.
- Nearly 100 stores with big name brands at discounted prices, and easily linked to town.
- Also situated there is the Odeon entertainment complex as well as the Heritage Coast Tourist Information Centre for Bridgend.
- Merthyr Mawr Sand Dunes was where parts of the Hollywood movie, 'Lawrence of Arabia' was filmed.
- The lost village of Treganllaw once stood there before being covered by the sands.
- On the road between Ewenny and Merthyr Mawr is the 'Dipping Bridge' where sheep would be pushed through the holes and into the water below.
- The inn that once stood near the bridge was the scene of many murders. Travellers were enticed in and murdered for their belongings. When the Inn was demolished skeletons were found in the grounds!
PORTHCAWL
- Porthcawl is roughly five miles from Bridgend
- It was founded in the 18th Century to transport iron and coal
- It is now the County Borough's premier resort
- It boasts some of the cleanest beaches in South Wales.
- Sandy Bay and Trecco Bay won the four-dolphin classification from the Marine Conservation Society for clean bathing waters and safe beaches
- Rest Bay and Trecco Bay have the coveted European Blue Flag plus a Tidy Britain Seaside Award.
- The merchant ships, Waverly, Balmoral and Oldenburg have visited Porthcawl Harbour for cruises along the Bristol Channel, and over to Lundy Island.
- The historic harbour with its old Lighthouse, Watchtower and Lifeboat Station used to be a busy exporting port and fishing harbour before the huge docks at Cardiff, Barry, Port Talbot and Swansea eclipsed them in size and capabilities.
- The Jennings Warehouse is one of the oldest dockside buildings in Wales.
- Porthcawl's population of over 16,000
- It is augmented during the main summer season by some 30,000 people per day
- It is one of the most popular seaside resorts in Southeast Wales.
- Today Porthcawl is a thriving holiday resort with numerous hotels, guesthouses and self-catering flats, restaurants, inns, and the Grand Pavilion Theatre
- After the Second World War, Porthcawl was a thriving resort for families
- Throughout the 50's there was a rail link from Bridgend but it closed in 1964
- The huge static caravan site at Trecco Bay is one of the largest in Europe accounting for some 12,500 bed-spaces.
- Day visitor trips have increased by more than 40% and are expected to continue to expand.
- Although only 13% of total day visitor trips are to the seaside, business tourism, has grown three times as fast over the past decade, and is estimated to continue long term growth.
- Tourism is the key element in the local economy generating £18M each year and directly supporting in excess of 845 jobs.
- It is estimated that there are 38 serviced establishments in Porthcawl supplying 477 bedrooms with 892 bed-spaces, 292 of them with private bathrooms.
- It is estimated that there are some 19,625 bed-spaces within the Porthcawl area
- Only a few minutes drive from Porthcawl is Kenfig National Nature Reserve one of the most impressive sites in Britain for conservation.
- Kenfig is the site of the 'Hidden village of Kenfig' which was engulfed by the sands.
- Newton's Norman church was founded by the Knights of St. John
- The patron Saint of Wales is closely associated with the well at the village of Nottage
MAESTEG
- Maesteg was originally the centre of Iron making in the late 1820's
- It was linked to the coast at Porthcawl, by a horse-drawn tramway, remnants of which can still be seen on the harbour side at Porthcawl.
- The origin of Maesteg may be traced to the establishment of the Maesteg Ironworks in the late 1820s
- The building of the Duffryn Llynfi and Porthcawl horse-drawn railway between Maesteg and the docks at Porthcawl had a major effect on both towns
- The Cambrian Iron and Spelter Company set up a second ironworks at Maesteg which later became known as Llynfi Works.
- The two iron manufactories were always the old and the new works respectively.
- The necessary coal and iron stone were obtained mainly from levels in the hills surrounding the town.
- Iron remained the staple local industry for fifty years.
- The long years of depression after 1875, and other factors, brought about the demise of Ironmaking at Maesteg.
- The last great Iron furnace was blown out in 1886
- One of the former ironworks has been carefully transformed into a modern sports centre.
- Iron eventually gave way to coal, and the Llynfi Valley has a proud heritage of supplying quality coal to industries that helped expand the vast British Empire.
- Maesteg has developed into one of the most important shopping centres in South Wales.
- There is a daily market and a regular scenic rail connection to the main line at Bridgend.
- Thousands of people from surrounding valleys and towns regularly buy their wares from the many shops
- Maesteg serves a shopping public many times greater than its own population.
- Maesteg and the Llynfi Valley has a population of 19,223
- Forestation work undertaken by the Forestry Commission, has transformed once barren stretches of mountain into great areas of forest land
- The hilltop village of Llangynwyd has the oldest thatched inn in Wales boasting 350 types of Whiskey
- Llangynwydd was the birthplace of the Celtic poet Wil Hopcyn whose tragic love of local girl, Ann Thomas is remembered in the old Welsh legend - The Maid of Cefn Ydfa.
- The Llynfi, Garw and Ogmore valleys are beautiful walking and cycling areas
- Llangeinor in the Garw Valley was the birthplace of Dr. Richard Price whose ideas and writings, were the inspiration for the American Constitution.
- The Oscar nominated movie film, 'Solomon and Gaenor' with Ioan Gruffudd and Maureen Lipman was filmed in the Ogmore Valley,
- 'Very Annie Mary' with Jonathon Pryce and Mathew Rhys was filmed in the Garw Valley.
- During the 18th century, Bedford Park, near Kenfig Hill, was another area of intense industrial activity.
- Today the area is more than 40 acres of ancient woodlands and meadows
- One of the central features of Bedford Park is the well preserved, ironworks - now protected as a scheduled ancient monument.
- Bryngarw Country Park has 113 acres of wild woodlands, formal gardens, exotic trees, mossy wetlands, mighty oaks, tiny wildflowers, open pastures, ornamental lakelands
- Bryngarw House was built in 1834
- The exotic Oriental garden close to the house, dates from 1910
- Tondu is yet another Victorian Iron Works presently being restored
- The Celtic Trail, part of the National Cycle Route, is close by
- Short stay holidays of 1 to 3 nights represent 14% of peak and 22% of off-peak visitors
- For more information click on the following
Tourism Strategy
Tourism Marketing Plan
|
|
|
|
| |
Quick Links
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
