The huge contribution that the Welsh tourism industry makes to the wealth and wellbeing of the nation will be celebrated during the annual Wales Tourism Week from February 29 to March 6, which is being co-ordinated by the Wales Tourism Alliance.

A series of special events and activities are planned by tourist attractions and tourism operators across the country during the week to turn the spotlight on the industry as a jobs and income generator.

The week will also focus on the important contribution that tourism makes towards preserving Wales’ identity, heritage and culture.

Wales Tourism Week will be formally launched by Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism Ken Skates at a reception at the Park Plaza Hotel, Cardiff on Wednesday, February 24, which will be attended by Assembly Members and representatives of the industry, including Margaret Llewellyn, chair and members of the Tourism Advisory Board.

Mr Skates said: “Wales Tourism Week plays an important role in highlighting the impact of the tourism on the Welsh economy. Judging on performance over the last three years, the Tourism industry in Wales is in very good shape.

“We’ve seen successive annual increases in visitor volumes and expenditure, both in the GB and international markets. GB Domestic staying visits hit a record 10 million in 2014 and the latest figures - for the first three quarters of 2015 - show further increases - 2% up on trips and 12% up on spend - in comparison with the same period in the record year of 2014.

“Very encouragingly, following very difficult economic conditions in our primary international markets, overseas visits to Wales have increased by 9% over the past three years. Despite these successes, there is absolutely no room for complacency and our mission is to remain competitive in a very rapidly changing global market-place.

“We’ve had an exciting start to 2016 with the launch of our international marketing campaign promoting Year of Adventure in Wales. Our aim is to make Wales a leading adventure destination – and it seems that the world is already taking note with the Rough Guide stating that Wales is one of Europe’s leading natural playgrounds.

“Wales Tourism Week is also about showing the hard work and commitment of those who work all year round in the tourism industry which employs 15% of the Welsh workforce. Our marketing work can attract people to Wales but it’s the experience, warm welcome and quality of the product which will make them return time and again."

Mrs Margaret Waters, the hotel’s general manager and chair of Cardiff Hoteliers Association, has agreed to support the launch.

Wales Tourism Week is being co-ordinated by the Wales Tourism Alliance (WTA), the umbrella body for the industry, which includes businesses providing serviced accommodation, self-catering, holiday parks, caravan and camping, visitor attractions and activity holidays plus tourist associations, regionally based tourism companies and professional tourist guides.

Adrian Barsby, WTA chair, said: “The tourism industry is the mainstay of many of our communities in Wales and its ongoing success will be dependent on business and government, central and local, pulling together. This will be the basis of the WTA work in the years ahead.”

Many tourism attractions throughout Wales will be marking the week by organising special events to which politicians at all levels, local residents and visitors will be invited. Some of the events will reflect the ‘Year of Adventure 2016’ theme adopted by Visit Wales, the Welsh Government’s tourism arm.

Amongst the Wales Tourism Week celebrations will be events at Greenwood Forest Park, the North Wales Mountain Zoo, Dan yr Ogof Show Caves, the National Library of Wales and Blaenafon Cheese Company.

Mr Skates will be visiting North Wales Mountain Zoo during the week to see new and planned exhibits. New exhibits at Anglesey Sea Zoo have also been opened to the public recently.

In addition students, who are undertaking tourism studies at Coleg Cambria’s Wrexham and Deeside campuses, will engage in a different outdoor pursuit each day to demonstrate the range of activities which can be undertaken in Wales.

The National Museum of Wales will be celebrating St David’s Day with various activities in its branches throughout Wales and acknowledging the importance of visitors to the museum and Wales.

To mark the launch of the week, WTA has announced a digital photographic competition for young people between the ages of 11 and 19. Young snappers will be encouraged to take a photograph which highlights Wales as the ‘Land of Adventure’.

Every photograph must be submitted electronically and accompanied by 100 words of text to explain where and the date it was taken and why it conveys the idea of adventure. There will be prizes for the best photographs of scenes from South East, South West, Mid and North Wales. The overall winner will receive a Go Pro Camera donated by North Wales Tourism.

The closing date for entries is April 4, 2016 and photographs should be sent as JPEG images at the highest available resolution as email attachment to [email protected] . The winner will be announced on April 11.

A panel of experienced judges, including professional photographers, will choose the winning photographs for each of the regions as well as the overall best entry.

Key facts about the tourism industry in Wales:

· * One in every seven jobs in Wales is in tourism or is supported by the industry

· * Latest figures from the Office of National Statistics show that 90% of jobs in tourism in the UK are permanent ones

· * Tourism is the mainstay of the economy in some areas of Wales

· * Priority sector statistics indicate that there are more than 10,000 businesses in the industry in Wales, mostly small and medium size, family run

· * Wales hosted 10 million overnight stays and 89 million day visitors in 2014

· * 80% of our tourism income in Wales is from UK visitors, mostly from holiday and leisure visits

· * Through their visits to castles, historic houses and museums, tourists help to maintain our built heritage

· * Through their presence at our festivals and events, tourists support our language and culture.

· * Visitors invariably leave with an impression of Wales as a country with unique characteristics which raises our profile as a nation.