WEST WALES AND THE VALLEYS - Geography and history
The West Wales and the Valleys region encompasses the northern, western and south-western periphery of Wales, together with the former industrial valleys of South Wales. It is an extensive area comprising the unitary authorities of Anglesey, Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Conwy, Denbighshire, Gwynedd, Merthyr Tydfil, Neath Port Talbot, Pembrokeshire, Rhondda Cynon Taff, Swansea and Torfaen. The region has an area of 13,000 km2, (63 per cent of Wales) and a population of 1.9 million in 2002.
The boundaries of the area of West Wales and the Valleys are reflected in its physical geography. West Wales and the Valleys has mountainous borders with east Wales and is surrounded by the sea to the north, west and south-west. The terrain is itself a combination of hills and mountains, with coastal plains in the Gower peninsula, southern Carmarthenshire, southern Pembrokeshire, the Llyn peninsula, the island of Anglesey and the fringe of the north Wales coast. The mountainous eastern border has played a considerable part in the economic isolation and cultural heritage of West Wales and the Valleys. The diverse nature of the area, its economy its culture and its environment are some of its many attributes that make it unique. Unfortunately its remoteness also results in the region being marginalised from many economic and social opportunities.
An isolated region
The region has a low and declining GDP per inhabitant compared to the EU average. The region's GDP in 2000 represented 71 per cent of the EU average. Furthermore, some parts of the region have a GDP value well below this figure. Unemployment has decreased, recording a rate of 5.1 per cent in the year to August 2003, around the same as the UK average. The long-term unemployment rate (as measured by the claimant count) has followed the same trend and was 16 per cent of the total claimant count in 2002.
The region has an over-dependence on declining industries in the most peripheral parts of the region as energy, defence and oil refining. It is also more dependent on the agricultural industry than most areas of the UK and currently affected by falling farm incomes. There are relatively few dynamic indigenous medium-sized businesses with growth potential in the region. The economic structure of the West Coast is dominated by micro businesses with limited capacity for growth; that of the Valleys is dominated by foreign owned manufacturing.
Some parts of the region are economically isolated: West Wales and the Valleys suffers from poor internal and external communication routes with markets both in the rest of the UK and Europe. The area has no regional airport offering regular scheduled services, although Cardiff airport is close to some areas of the region. Good communications with Ireland are degraded by infrequent rail services and a poor road network. Individual communities are isolated by geographical barriers. All parts of the region see a net outflow of young people. In the more rural western parts of the region this is more than balanced by the in flow of working age people, often with young children. In the ex-industrial valleys areas however this counter-balancing in flow of people does not generally occur leading to an overall declining population.
Important role of tourism in the regional economy
Tourism is an important element of the economic fabric of the region, and provides a key source of income and employment, particularly in coastal and rural areas. It also offers an alternative source of income in areas which have been subject to major restructuring. The industry provides a large number of jobs, and is both attractive and accessible to young people and women. However, employment is subject to seasonality and low pay levels, which mitigate against tourism as a choice of career.
Although there are moves to encourage the shift to growth markets like short stay domestic visitors much of the industry (resorts in particular) still cater for traditional family, main holiday markets which are in decline. Business related tourism and day visitor tourism is becoming more important, which can help to reduce seasonality. Overseas holidaymakers to the region are in the main sightseeing tourists looking for heritage, cultural tradition and landscape. Tourism is vital to the economy of West Wales and the Valleys. It helps to support the environment, communities and culture of the region. It provides support for local services and facilities which, without tourism patronage, would not be viable; and it boosts the image of the region.
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