For years Wales has been trying to shrug off its bucket-and-spade image in the hope of attracting wealthier holidaymakers and extending the tourism season. A new study suggests the country is slowly making headway in the battle to be considered a “luxury staycation destination”. For getaway visitors seeking relative solitude, “remoteness” was factored into the study by considering local population data.
By this measure, four Welsh counties – Anglesey, Pembrokeshire, Gwynedd and Ceredigion – were placed within the top 14 UK of Britain’s staycation areas. While they were behind big hitters such as the Lake District and Cotswolds, all four came out ahead of key players like Devon and Edinburgh. Luxury is, of course, subjective and the criteria used to assess it can be arbitrary.
A survey by Defender , a Land Rover brand with its own premium cachet, based its assessment on things like golf courses, five-star hotels and Michelin-starred restaurants. The resulting list will inform recommendations for the company's customers. READ MORE: Anger as beauty spot car park becomes 'free campsite' for scores of campervans READ MORE: Britain's 'greatest' villages include two in North Wales 'not overrun by tourists' These are places with reputations that can be enhanced through investment and patronage.
Other criteria, such as National Trust properties, are historical legacies, while “excellent hiking trails” can be quirks of geography – though their appeal can be maximise.