A suite of professional tourism-related marketing resources for businesses to use has been launched as part of Denbighshire’s Destination Management Plan.
A communications toolkit with key messages to encourage a safe and responsible travel ethos has been produced.
This includes encouraging visitors to plan, prepare and pre-book to ensure a positive experience, coastal safety tips, and outdoor safety messages to ensure people have the right skills, knowledge and gear before venturing out.
The new Countryside Code is also highlighted to encourage visitors and residents to protect the environment by taking litter home, keeping dogs under control, following signs and keeping to marked paths, closing gates and parking responsibly.
A suite of social media graphics based around the key messages has been produced for businesses and Tourism Ambassadors as well as a bank of professional images to promote the area.
Steve Layt, Denbighshire Gold Tourism Ambassador and Corwen Walking Festival organiser, said: “The resources and images are great and will be really useful to highlight the area and encourage responsible tourism.
“The Dee Valley and Berwyn Mountains has a big impact on Corwen and people coming to Denbighshire via the A5, however many visitors are still not aware of it. For example, Moel Fferna is the highest point in the AONB and Cadair Berwyn is the highest point in Denbighshire.
“A couple of weeks ago I was on Cadair Bronwen and a couple from Blackpool were at the top and they said they usually went to Snowdonia but could not believe the range of hills they had always driven by.”
Cllr Hugh Evans OBE, Leader of the Council, said: “We are now approaching the main summer season and it’s important to continue to encourage safe and responsible visitor and resident behaviour.
“Over 200 businesses in Denbighshire have now achieved the ‘Good to Go’ mark, meaning strict Covid guidelines have been followed. We all need to work together to preserve and enhance Denbighshire’s special qualities for future generations.”
Denbighshire is also encouraging everyone to learn and appreciate more about the area by becoming a Denbighshire Tourism Ambassador.
A series of free, interactive online modules with quizzes have been produced on various themes including walking, cycling, history, arts, towns, welsh language, AONB, World Heritage Site, coast and food tourism. There is currently over 275 Ambassadors and the scheme, which started in Denbighshire, is now expanding to other areas across Wales.
Richard Hughes, from Bracdy Holidays in Llandyrnog and Gold Tourism Ambassador, said: “Many of our visitors to Bracdy Campsite have never stayed in the area before. They are amazed by the beauty of The Clwydian Range behind the site and the stunning views across the Vale of Clwyd.
“We’re here to answer questions about Denbighshire and so to improve our local knowledge we’ve been back to school to become an Ambassador. We love our visitors to ask questions and we like to have the answers and with 2000 years of historic events to talk about, the wide open spaces and the bustling market towns there’s always plenty going on.”
Denbighshire’s two staffed Tourist Information Centres are now open to assist visitors with accommodation, activities, dining out and travelling around the county. Llangollen is open Wednesday, Friday and Saturdays, 9.30am-5pm and Rhyl Tourist Information Centre is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays, 9.30am-4pm.
