Consumer sentiment tracking survey aiming to understand confidence, intent and barriers to take overnight short breaks and holidays in the UK and Wales.
2025 review
- Wales continues to attract a diverse mix of visitors, with Older Independents and Families forming the largest groups, and a comparatively strong presence of Younger Independents.
- Cardiff, Pembrokeshire and Mid Wales/Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) are the most visited destinations, with areas like Carmarthenshire and North East Wales outperforming initial intention levels.
- Trips to Wales account for 6% of 2025 UK trips, below the intention recorded at the start of 2025.
- UK‑wide, intentions remain higher than trips taken, with England continuing to dominate trip volumes.
Cost of living
- Financial pressures show signs of easing, with fewer travellers citing affordability as a barrier and more feeling financially stable compared with early 2025.
- Around half of Wales trip intenders still expect some cost‑of‑living influence, but intended cutbacks (e.g., reducing eating‑out or activities) are less pronounced than in early 2025.
Looking ahead: UK and Wales 2026 intentions
- UK trip intentions for 2026 remain stable, with similar seasonal patterns to 2025.
- Intentions to visit Wales hold steady, with 2026 seasonal levels broadly mirroring 2025 figures across spring, summer, autumn and winter.
- Booking conversion for Wales has softened, with fewer 2026 intenders having already booked and a higher proportion still deciding where to go – more than any other nation.
- Cardiff leads intentions throughout the whole year. Pembrokeshire and Swansea Bay dominate summer intentions, while Llandudno & Colwyn Bay sees its peak in Winter 2026.
- Hotels remain the most common planned accommodation choice, especially in colder months; rented cottages/houses remain a strong year‑round second choice.
- Own car travel dominates, reinforcing Wales’ positioning as a car‑led destination; trains remain the main alternative.
- Most visitors plan to travel with a partner, with children also prominent; pets show stable appeal across seasons.
- Longer breaks (4+ nights) remain the most common stay‑length across all seasons.
https://www.gov.wales/uk-tourism-consumer-tracker-survey-wales-profile-report-2025
