Collaboration is at the Heart of Swansea Bay’s Visitor Economy

Tourism in Swansea Bay, Mumbles and Gower is big business – worth £658 million to the local economy last year alone and attracting 4.6 million visitors. Of those, 1.6 million stayed overnight, bringing even greater benefits to local suppliers, attractions, and hospitality providers.

Those numbers are a reminder that tourism is not just about the peak summer months. Our beaches, walking routes, and cultural offer draw visitors all year round. Walkers, nature lovers, and the growing dog-friendly market keep our destination vibrant in spring and autumn – which is why much of Swansea Council’s marketing focuses on these shoulder seasons. From online campaigns to advertising in key UK cities such as London, Birmingham and Bristol, we aim to bring visitors here when there’s still plenty to do but a little more space to enjoy it.

Our role at the council is to work alongside local tourism operators to make sure that offer is as strong as it can be. We have more than 260 partners signed up to our official destination website, visitswanseabay.com – including self-catering businesses, hotels, attractions, restaurants, cafes and activity providers. That variety matters, because the visitor experience is never just one thing. A great stay in a holiday let might lead to a memorable meal at a local restaurant, an afternoon exploring an attraction, or a day out on a guided activity. Each element adds to the impression visitors take away and to the likelihood they will stay longer, spend more and recommend the area to others.

We encourage businesses to work together so that visitors get the best possible experience. Our stakeholder engagement events are designed to help those connections happen, creating partnerships between accommodation providers, food and drink businesses, and attractions. We’ve seen how much it helps the local economy when businesses recommend each other and keep spending local.

The council also works to support businesses directly. A good example is the Tourism Support Fund, which we ran with Shared Prosperity Fund backing for three years. The aim was to help small accommodation operators in rural parts of the destination improve quality, maintain Visit Wales gradings and enhance the visitor experience. In total, we supported around 35 projects from accessibility improvements and EV charging points to cycling storage and kitchen refurbishments.

One of the largest projects we supported was Pitton Cross Farm on the Gower Peninsula. Originally a working farm, it is now being transformed into six farm-themed holiday lets that celebrate local heritage and cater to growing markets such as dog-friendly tourism. Our contribution was only one part of a wider funding package, but it’s been rewarding to see how it’s helped unlock the project. With its on-site dog park and coastal setting, Pitton Cross is a great example of how investment, creativity, and collaboration can work together to enhance the destination.

The message I’d like to get across to anyone running a tourism or hospitality business in Swansea Bay is that support is available – and much of it is free. By becoming a partner on visitswanseabay.com, you can be part of our year-round marketing campaigns and connect with other local businesses. We can offer advice, networking opportunities, and help you find the right contacts if you have a challenge to overcome. For those with a little more marketing budget, there are additional paid benefits to boost your reach further.

Swansea Bay is open all year round, and there is so much more to the visitor economy than any single business can deliver on its own. By working together, sharing knowledge, and recommending each other’s services, we can give visitors the kind of experience that keeps them coming back and ensure tourism continues to make a real difference to our local economy.

Geraldine talks about this and more in the Meet the Funder podcast episode Scaling Tourism in Wales – The Power of Strategic Investment. Listen to the podcast here.