Economy Secretary announces Tourism Funding at Denbighshire Tourism Forum

The Tourism Product Innovation Fund (TPIF) and Regional Tourism Engagement Fund (RTEF) will help the private and public sector work together to develop and deliver innovative destination and product led initiatives linked to Year of the Sea 2018  and Year of Discovery 2019 – and more than £1million is available to eligible projects. 

The Cabinet Secretary, Ken Skates, said: 

“We are looking for big idea projects which can make a real difference in making Wales a must visit destination and give people compelling reasons to visit Wales. For the Year of the Sea we want to challenge perceptions with new innovative 21st century products, events and experiences that tell the fantastic stories of our various coastal destinations. Our aim for the year is to celebrate Wales’ epic coast in order to make wales a stand out UK destination.”

Many projects from Denbighshire were successful in securing funding during the last three years and have included: 

• Mountain Bike Wales –  Denbighshire County Council has been instrumental in drawing down £35k TPIF funding to bring together all of the Welsh mountain bike centres to deliver ‘Mountain Bike Wales’, an innovative  one stop shop for cycling enthusiast of all abilities. Promoting facilities close to mountain bike bases, specifically Llandegla.  It is encouraging visitors to stay longer and contribute to tourism growth.
• MythFest Wales  – The Clwydian Range Tourism Group secured £40k of TPIF funding to deliver MythFest Wales, an original touring family festival celebrating North East Wales’s myths and legends and links to the Sea through immersion in traditional Welsh storytelling, music and sustainable crafts. 
• Cruise – In a collaborative project between Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham the Destination Management Partnerships have been able to develop itineraries to support regional strategic cruise operations. Developing relationships with tour operators working from the Port of Liverpool and Holyhead to bring more cruise business into the region. 

Expressions of Interest should be made by Friday 17 November 2017 for this 2018-2019 round of funding for both Tourism Product Innovation Fund (TPIF) and Regional Tourism Engagement Fund (RTEF) – with full spend to be completed by March 2019.  

Take a look at successful projects assisted through TPIF and RTEF and guidance for the funding. 

Both the Tourism Product Innovation Fund (TPIF) and Regional Tourism Engagement Fund (RTEF) are supported supported through the Welsh Government Rural Communities Rural Development Programme 2014-2020, funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), and the Welsh Government.