Last updated: October 2025
Background
The Wales Tourism Business Barometer is designed to give quick feedback on how the tourism industry in Wales is performing at key times during the year. This wave looks at:
- the performance year to date and expectations for the summer.
- This Barometer includes questions on:
- tourism imbalance
- seasonality
- collaboration with other operators and recruitment.
- Findings are based on a telephone survey with 900 interviews with Tourism businesses across Wales.
Findings
Mixed year continues
Following on from earlier barometer waves this year, industry performance remains mixed in most sectors.
- Overall, 29% of tourism businesses have had more customers this summer compared to last summer, and a further 45% have had the same level.
- However, 26% report a decrease.
- Differences in performance by region are not significant.
Much better weather than last summer
Summer 2025 (June to August) was the warmest summer on record in the UK according to the Met Office. With above average levels of sunshine and below average rainfall.
- Over half (57%) of businesses with increased customers this summer attribute their upturn unprompted to the weather, which was mixed last summer.
- In particular, 90% of caravan & campsites and 68% of attractions with increased business attribute it to the weather.
But lack of disposable income continues to hamper demand
Two in five (40%) businesses with decreased customers attribute their downturn unprompted to ‘people lacking in disposable income’. This is by far the most frequently cited reason, ahead of ‘Welsh Government policies’ (22%).
Most businesses hold repeat customers in high regard
In response to a set of prompted statements:
- 12% of operators say that ‘we are very focused on attracting new customers’ best describes their approach towards new and repeat customers.
- However, a far larger proportion (68%) agree more with ‘we are interested in attracting new customers, but it’s more important to encourage and maintain repeat business’.
- Repeat customers are of great value because they bring stability and are easier and less costly to maintain as a customer base than frequently striving to attract new ones.
- Many operators go to great lengths to encourage existing customers to return.
Confidence to operate profitably
About one in five (21%) operators feel ‘very confident’ to operate profitably this year and a further 31% say they feel ‘fairly confident'.
