Conwy is a County that welcomes tourism. It is in its DNA, from Bronze Age visitors, through to the Victorians who developed Llandudno into a seaside resort. Tourism is a key economic driver for the county, and indeed for the wider region. Our fabulous scenery, cultural heritage, amazing range of attractions, and talented and welcoming business people mean that Conwy County is now internationally recognised as one of the UK’s leading visitor destinations.
Tourism is a priority sector for Conwy County. According to 2022 STEAM figures, the total economic impact of tourism to the county is £1.1Bn. This has surpassed 2019 levels where the total economic impact was £996.16M. Visitor numbers have also recovered to 2019 levels.
The benefits are increasingly shared across the County; with visitors spending on accommodation, food and drink, leisure activities and shopping. Non-tourism businesses also benefit through local supply chains, such as the wholesaler who supplies restaurants and the local garage where visitors are supplied with fuel.
Tourism also has a critical value to the wider community; particularly in the rural areas where many goods and services are only available to the resident community and remain viable because of visitor spend. This wider economic benefit to the destination is referred to as the Visitor Economy and is far more wide reaching than the direct impact of just the tourism element alone.
In order to ensure the County's continued recovery and growth, the Destination Conwy Partnership and Conwy County Borough Council have outlined 11 objectives in the revised Destination Conwy Management Plan in order to support the industry over the next 6 years.
Destination Conwy Management Plan 2023-2029 (PDF)