Sir Benfro

A sense of Place in the Swansea Valley

Course Details
Venue:	The Cross Inn, Pontardawe
Date:	18/11/2010
Duration Time:	10.00 - 17.00
Available Places:	10
Training Provider	Angharad Wynne
Tourist Association Fees
Members	£15
Non Members	£20
Cheques Payable to	Gallu
A sense of Place in the Swansea Valley Wales is a nation built on music, art, legends and literature, industry and a strong sense of community. Our indigenous traditions stretch back into the mists of time, linking us to our stunning landscape. We have two languages – English that we share with the rest of the world, and Welsh, our very own ancient language – the oldest in Europe - that is alive and flourishing today. Ours is a cultural tradition steeped in history, but it is also a living, vibrant culture at the beginning of the 21st Century Over 300,000 UK visitors staying in Wales every year come here with the purpose of exploring our culture; while over 80% of overseas visitors cite heritage and culture amongst their main reasons for visiting Wales. It is therefore up to us all to ensure that we not only fulfill their expectations, but surpass them. In a tourism climate where the appreciation of the value of cultural tourism is on the increase, we have to compete hard on a global basis to attract visitors to our amazing little corner of the world. The uniqueness of Wales’ history, language and way of life are distinctive tourism assets which help us when competing with other countries for visitors and it is up to us all to do whatever we can to enhance our guests sense of Wales and Welshness. This in turn spreads the word and helps enhance Wales’s status in a fiercely competitive tourism market - which of course, benefits us all. This day will equip you with a deeper appreciation of what makes your area unique, special and attractive to visitors. It will also provide you with ideas and inspiration about how you can use this knowledge in your buisiness to improve your service to visitors and increase your bottom line. This course covers two of the three modules of Visit Wales’ Croeso Programme, namely, Croeso Cymru (Welcome Wales) and Croeso Cymraeg (Welsh Welcome). Assessment forms will be provided on the day so that delegates can complete these two modules. The modules are: Croeso Cymru This part of the programme concentrates on knowledge and communication about local history, culture, language, food and landscape, to strengthen your business and your locality’s Sense of Place. Sense of Place is profitable in more ways than one. It makes good business sense to work with what is distinctively local. As a tourism business, you will gain from adding value and improving competitiveness and profitability. You’ll also be surprised by how a Sense of Place can open up a wealth of new resources and ideas for development, create more involvement with the local community and make life much more interesting for you and your team! The components of a sense of place can be a thousand and one things. It’s the sensation you get when visiting somewhere for the first time – the first impression, the look, the feel, the atmosphere, the people. A sense of place embraces the distinctive sights, sounds and experiences that are rooted in a country, those unique and memorable qualities that resonate with local people and visitors alike. Croeso Cymraeg In Wales we’re lucky to have two languages, English which we share with the rest of the world, and Welsh, our own unique language - the oldest in Europe. The numbers of people who can now speak Welsh is growing. Over 20 per cent of the population speak it, including nearly 40 per cent of children and young people aged fifteen and younger. As a result awareness of Welsh and interest in the language is growing world wide, and our visitors are increasingly interested in engaging with it – hearing it spoken, trying to pronounce our beautiful names, place names and key words, and learning about it’s history. It is as important to provide a Welsh language experience for our international and UK domestic visitors as it is to make an effort to provide a bilingual environment for Welsh speakers visiting our establishments. About an hour of the days training will be dedicated to this.
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