The Welsh Government have recently announced a new drive to attract international visitors to North Wales. And, across the country, the race is on to bring high-spending overseas holidaymakers – who notoriously stay longer and spend more – to the country.

Launching the North Wales plan, Welsh Government’s Economy Minister, Vaughan Gething MS said:

Our Welsh heritage, history, language and culture are front and centre in the campaign and we’ll also be focusing on our food and drink.

Now is an ideal opportunity for hospitality businesses to highlight their Welshness to attract overseas visitors. And a country specific .wales or .cymru domain name website is a great way to ensure that identity is communicated clearly and globally across the internet. Since Welsh domain names, which are run by Nominet, were launched in 2015, more than 47,000 .cymru and .wales domains have registered to date[1], helping businesses to establish their Welsh identity and culture. High renewal rates of over 80%[2] show a willingness to keep a .cymru or .wales domain website as a key part of online identity. In the year to March 2021, a total of 87 .cymru and .wales domains were registered for food and drink-related produce websites, and 89 domains were registered for holiday and tourism services, out of a total of 5,310 .wales and .cymru domains.

A unique online presence is more important for hospitality businesses than ever and, for a Welsh business, a .wales or .cymru domain website allows it to proudly display its passion for Wales to target customers, inside or outside the country. A local domain immediately communicates to potential customers that it is a Welsh brand, creating a unique selling point for companies trying to attract visitors in search of an authentic cultural experience, separating it from similar companies in the same space.

There are practical benefits, too. Local domain websites may give hospitality firms preferential treatment on search engine rankings over .com results, while including contact details such as a local telephone number and address will assist in improving position and credibility among target audiences. This helps potential visitors looking for a Welsh hospitality experience or a place to eat in a specific country to quickly find relevant businesses. A local .wales or .cymru domain website also increases relevancy to users in Wales, meaning visitors already in the country looking for a place to eat or drink will find business more easily by helping identify where the business is located.

Some of Wales’ most established companies, such as the National Botanic Garden of Wales and Penderyn Distillery have chosen to use Welsh domains.

David Hardy, Head of Marketing and Communications at the National Botanic Garden of Wales, says:

It was great to be able to secure these domain names, that are short, simple and Welsh. They chime with our ambitions as a national and international institution, bringing a stronger cultural identity to our website. Our mission is to inspire, educate and conserve, and the Welsh domain names mean we can truly celebrate our ‘Welshness’ in all our online interactions.

Choosing a domain name that accurately reflects and communicates a brand is critical, and a .wales or .cymru domain is an excellent place to start. Domain name availability has become a key consideration in naming a new business – they should be memorable and as short and simple as possible. With shorter domains in short supply, some companies invent words that serve as their business name as well as giving them a distinctive and memorable domain name website. Some Welsh firms, however, choose to use the Welsh language to their advantage for this. For example, crwst.cymru, created in 2018 by Catrin Parry Jones and Osian Wyn Jones for their bakery in Cardigan, uses “crwst” which is Welsh for crust.

Catrin Parry Jones, co-Director of Crwst. Combined with the .cymru domain, the name enhances their reputation as a patriotic company that cares about Welsh identity, culture and language.

She says,

We wanted to emphasise that we are a Welsh business, especially being first language Welsh speakers.

Samantha Sweetland, Head of Marketing & B2C at Nominet, which runs the .cymru and .wales domains, said:

There are many benefits to being online, such as opening up new advertising options to secure new business and increasing the reach of your marketing efforts. Word of mouth and recommendations are great, but increasingly, potential clients want to ‘try before they buy’ and, in many circumstances, this means having a look at your website as part of their decision-making process.

For businesses who want to underline their Welsh connection or heritage, having a .wales or .cymru domain name is the perfect way to demonstrate their Welsh provenance to the world.

Find out if your ideal .cymru and .wales domain names are available today from Nominet.

[1] Nominet Business Intelligence Dashboard (January 2015 – April 2022)
[2] Nominet Business Intelligence Dashboard .wales and .cymru renewals (January 2015 – March 2022)