Forest Holidays has announced its newest location due to open in late 2022. It will see 40 eco-sensitive cabins open for overnight stays in the Brecon Beacons National Park amidst 400 acres of woodland at the southern gateway, Garwnant.
This will be the company’s 12th UK location and 2nd in Wales, the first one having opened in Snowdonia National Park in 2018. Garwnant will be Forest Holidays 6th location set within a National Park and has been carefully designed to integrate with the natural environment. Work on the location will begin this month.
This opening represents a multi-million-pound investment including internal upgrades to the existing Visitor Centre and cafe as well as a new shop, brand new bike hire facilities and outdoor activities and experiences for day visitors and those staying overnight. The new location will create local year-round jobs and become a significant new addition to South Wales growing tourism economy.
The new cabin location and facilities for day visitors will bring economic benefits to South Wales and enhancements to the forest environment as well as offering visitors to the area a new and unique overnight experience in Garwnant. Besides Garwnant, visitors can also book accommodation in a hot tub lodge in South Wales. According to Hot Tub Breakaway there are hundreds of lodges with hot tubs in the area that fit any budget. The hot tub breaks are packed with everything a tourist would need indoors and outdoors (wi-fi, dedicated parking, TV, sog friendly accommodation, etc.)
The new cabin location and facilities for day visitors will bring economic benefits to South Wales and enhancements to the forest environment as well as offering visitors to the area a new and unique overnight experience in Garwnant.
Visitors and guests will soon be able to explore the many forest trails on two wheels and uncover animal tracks, build dens, search for mini beasts and learn all about the forest with the new Forest Ranger experiences being introduced.
Forest Holidays champions sustainable tourism, offering an unpackaged experience which encourages guests to visit local attractions, explore the surrounding areas and eat, drink and shop locally during their stay. It has been estimated that guest spend in the area will provide a boost of £1.5million per year to this largely rural economy.
The 40 eco-sensitive timber cabins are designed to allow guests to immerse themselves in nature and connect with the natural world with large decked outside spaces. The cabins will range from one to five-bedroom cabins and treehouses and a specially adapted cabin with wheelchair access.
Natural Resources Wales, Head of Mid Wales Operations, Gavin Bown commented:
“One of our key roles is to sustainably manage our natural resources in a way that benefits the environment, people and economy of Wales and working with Forest Holidays, whose cabin locations are designed to protect and enhance their forest locations, is a fantastic example of this.
We manage around 126,000 hectares of woodland on behalf of the Welsh Government, that’s almost six per cent of the land in Wales, and we want to encourage more sustainable commercial opportunities that benefit the Welsh environment for people and for nature now and into the future.
This exciting project is a great example of how we are realising our ambition to support the right development in the right places.”
Jodie Bond, Public Affairs Manager, Brecon Beacons National Park Authority said:
“The Authority welcomes sustainable rural development within the Brecon Beacons National Park. Forest Holidays will not only create jobs but inward investment to the local economy which is excellent news. We look forward to welcoming more visitors to the Park to explore the beautiful landscape, our local heritage and our culture.”
Day visitors can continue to enjoy the walks around Garwnant both during the works and after the Forest Holidays cabins open.
Bruce McKendrick, Chief Executive of Forest Holidays commented:
“For anyone who loves the great outdoors, the Brecon Beacons National Park is an incredible place to discover, and we feel privileged to be able to help others enjoy and spend time in this iconic landscape with such rich history.
We are looking forward to making a valuable and eco-sensitive contribution to the growing tourism economy in South Wales, with the creation of new local jobs, enhancements to the forest environment and the economic benefits our new location will bring to the surrounding area.”
