The growing use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to help visitors find and book accommodation and experiences was a recurring theme at a sold-out Mid Wales Tourism Conference.
Diverse speakers covered a wide range of tourism and hospitality topics at the conference, held at The Metropole Hotel & Spa, Llandrindod Wells and organised by Mid Wales Tourism (MWT Cymru), which is celebrating its 35th birthday this year.
An independent, not-for-profit company, MWT Cymru supports more than 600 member tourism and hospitality businesses across Powys, Ceredigion and Meirionnydd and receives no public core funding.
Hosting major events in the region, inclusive and accessible tourism, welcoming neurodivergent visitors and an exciting Excalibur film project were all in the spotlight.
AI and the future of tourism marketing formed a major part of the programme, examining how AI is already changing the way visitors search for destinations, discover businesses and make travel decisions online.
Claire Owen, MWT Cymru’s membership manager, introduced delegates to the company’s custom-built AI agents, Harri and Gwen, which are designed to support businesses and visitors to the Visit Mid Wales website.
“AI matters because it’s transforming how people discover a destination,” she said. “Visit Wales is as passionate as us to help tourism businesses across Wales to use AI confidently.”
John Turner, chief executive of Visit Somerset and an international AI consultant, highly commended MWT Cymru chief executive Zoe Hawkins for her work to develop AI to benefit businesses.
“The great work that Zoe and her team is doing is going to be very advantageous to you,” he told delegates. “They are one of the first in the UK to adopt AI technology and you should be really proud because they are ahead of the curve.”
He said the digital revolution had already begun and he predicted that within five years the UK would have a “connected economy” driven by AI, something that already exists in parts of China.
He revealed that Expedia has 600 billion AI interactions through its 70 websites worldwide and emphasised the urgent need for advocates to spread the message and prepare UK businesses for what is coming.
William Meredith, media director at Golley Slater, underlined the importance of AI in discovering destinations, saying its influence is set to grow from five to 50 per cent in the coming year.
He said the green heart of Mid Wales is well placed to benefit from a predicted 20% increase in domestic tourism by 2030, as visitors don’t like overcrowded destinations and are looking for new experiences.
Ross Calladine, from Visit England, promoted accessible and inclusive tourism, revealing that this market is worth £1.1 billion to Wales’ visitor economy, while Ben Ewart-Dean, from Neurodivergence Wales, highlighted practical ways businesses could create more inclusive experiences for neurodivergent visitors.
Daniel Burgess, Powys County Council’s head of economy and climate, announced a list of major events secured for the county with Welsh Government support.
They include stage three of the famous Tour de France Grand Start at Powis Castle, Welshpool on July 4 next year, when the world’s top cyclists will pass through Welshpool, Newtown, Llandrindod Wells and Builth Wells. The race will have an estimated £100 million economic impact in Wales, attract 1.4 million visitors and reach a global TV audience.
Next year’s events also include the National Eisteddfod in Machynlleth from July 31 to August 7, the International Six Day Enduro in Builth Wells, together with the annual Hay and Green Man Festivals and Royal Welsh Show.
The Lloyds Tour of Britain Women’s Race is also visiting Llanidloes, Rhayader, the Elan Valley, Knighton, Presteigne and Hay-on-Wye on August 22 this year.
“Powys is the second most popular county in Wales for hosting major events,” said Mr Burgess. “There is a real legacy and history of events being done well here.”
Conference chair, Steve Hughson, chairman of both Mid Wales Tourism Forum and Welsh Government Visitor Economy Forum, urged tourism and hospitality businesses along the Tour de France route in Powys to start preparing for the race. Deadline to register temporary accommodation, such as campsites, is March 31 next year.
Although the race will be visiting Powys for one day only, he predicted that cycling fans from around the globe will be visiting the county in the following years to ride the same route that they had seen on television.
Dan Freeman, from Secret Planet and chief executive of Mythical Wales, spoke about the Mid Wales Excalibur film project, based on Wales’ version of the King Arthur story, which he is leading, saying it could be transformative for the country.
He is planning a series of three fantasy films with related franchises and highlighted the opportunities it could create for tourism, hospitality and the wider visitor economy.
He asked delegates to follow www.excaliburfilm.com and to share their mythical stories handed down through the generations.
Other speakers were Rebecca Falvey, The Open University’s senior manager for skills and innovation, Roger Harding from Xeinadin accountants and Rowland Rees Evans, Wales Tourism Alliance chairman.
