In Wales, authorities want to protect tourists from the rain

The move "is extraordinary," marvels The Daily Telegraph . And not in a good way, according to the British conservative newspaper. Faced with a decline in tourist numbers, the Welsh government decided on Wednesday, April 30, to launch a puzzling subsidy program. The goal: to protect tourists from bad weather.

Endowed with 1 million pounds (1.2 million euros), this fund “will provide an envelope of between 5,000 and 20,000 pounds [5,900 to 23,500 euros] to eligible businesses,” details The Pembrokeshire Herald . The money “will thus make it possible to put in place measures to make their activities less vulnerable to the weather,” continues the Welsh regional newspaper. By the construction of canopies, for example. Or the paving of a path known for being muddy. “There is nothing worse than a queue of soaked people,” assures Ashford Price, of the Welsh Association of Visitor Attractions, to The Daily Telegraph .

This initiative by the local Labour government aims to concretely address the 13% decline in visits to Wales between 2019 and 2023. The main culprit, according to tourism industry stakeholders: rain. And all its variations, from drizzle to deluge to passing showers.

“Recent data compiled by Visit Wales [the Welsh tourism promotion body] reveals that 55% of tourism professionals attributed the poor 2024 summer season to poor weather, more so than to the rising cost of living,” states The Pembrokeshire Herald . And when the tourism sector speaks, the authorities listen, notes the Southwest daily: the industry “is a heavyweight,” to the tune of 3.8 billion pounds (4.5 billion euros), in the Welsh economy.

“One of my worst memories from my teenage years was getting lost in Wales with my hiking group,” recalls Marianka Swain of the Daily Telegraph.

“I found myself standing in the middle of a field under the grim gaze of a flock of sheep and the merciless lashing of horizontal rain.”

Weather hazards certainly have the power to ruin a vacation, the London journalist concedes. But to imagine that "a rickety marquee could survive the force of Welsh rain and stem the tourist exodus" ? Nothing could be less certain.

"It's a step in the right direction , " The Times believes . "The presence of a rain shelter can mark the border between a failed day and a total disaster." However, the liberal London daily continues, the antics of the cloud cover contribute to the charm of Wales, renowned for its breathtaking panoramas, its chiseled coasts, and its hikes at the ends of the earth .

“Wales owes its appearance to the weather. The greenery comes from abundant rainfall. The landscapes are rugged and rocky because they have endured storm after storm for thousands of years. In other words, if you're coming to Wales for shelter, you've got it all wrong,” says Heritage journalist Stuart.

For the more adventurous: Snowdonia National Park averages 270 days of rain per year, Wales Online reported in 2018. “Basically,” Stuart Heritage suggests , “perhaps the Welsh authorities would be better off waterproofing visitors rather than tourist attractions. How? By launching an advertising campaign targeting the most hardened tourists, those who are prepared to overcome minor inconveniences if the reward is to be able to experience one of the most beautiful places on Earth in all its splendor.”