The Easter holiday season is a boom time for the Welsh tourism business. However, this year, heavy rain has had a devastating impact with some firms having to close completely due to the bad weather while others have been forced to partially shut down because of the flooding. After a very wet March, parts of south and west Wales are still under threat of more rain in April, according to weatherman Derek Brockway.
Heritage Coast Campsite, in Monknash, Vale of Glamorgan, was one of the firms that had to shut and refund customers who had booked. Owner Philippa George said it was not just that it rained; it would have been miserable for people to camp there as the ground was sodden, and they didn’t want their guests’ holidays to be miserable. The campsite is hoping to reopen on April 12th but it “isn’t looking any better at the moment”, George said.
Weather conditions have also affected the visitor programs at National Trust-run Dyffryn Gardens in Vale of Glamorgan, with the manager, Caroline Dadd, saying that the situation had been challenging. As part of its efforts to deal with the situation, the Trust had to invest in matting for the car park as the ground conditions were so poor. Dyffryn managed to fit everyone in the car park over the weekend, but only just because the weather dried out on the Saturday and Sunday.
Overall, the period from Easter to September is a crucial time for the Welsh tourism industry, and managers are hoping that the remainder of the season will see much more favourable conditions. Many firms have suffered serious impacts due to the weather and some experts are now speculating about the role that climate change may be playing, with rainfall reportedly above average in Wales over the last nine months
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