Tourism in Wales

Tourism in Wales makes up a significant portion of the Welsh economy and attracting millions of visitors each year.

Wales attracts visitors from overseas, particularly from the United States, Australia, Germany and the Republic of Ireland.

The most popular activities undertaken by tourists in Wales were walking, shopping, hiking in the mountains and visiting historic attractions, museums and galleries.

[4] The capital, Cardiff is the most popular area in Wales for tourists, with 14.6 million visitors in 2009,[5] which provides 26,300 jobs in the sector.

Popular activities in the national parks include hill walking, hiking, canoeing, mountain biking, kayaking and climbing.

1.8 million United States citizens are estimated to have Welsh ancestral roots, including former presidents, Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson.

The first illustrated tour guide to be published in Britain, it helped travellers locate and enjoy the most picturesque places, such as Tintern Abbey.

Wales is connected to the rest of the United Kingdom (its principal tourist market) by road, rail and domestic flights.

Many daily flight operate to and from other major UK cities such as Newcastle, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Belfast.

The country is also connected to Ireland by car ferry services operating daily from Welsh ports, principally Holyhead.

Restrictions will "likely be in place until the summer", one report predicted, with June being the most likely time for tourism from other countries to begin a rebound.