Executive Director of Llangollen expresses delight in “excellent early ticket sales...”

Llangollen Festival to benefit from the British ‘staycation’

With many British holiday-makers opting to holiday at home this year due to the economic downturn, the town of Llangollen, North Wales is set to receive a record number of visitors as it plays host to one of the world’s most vibrant Festivals, the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, which this year takes place from 6th to 12th July.

Each year, this quaint and tranquil town, located in the picturesque Dee Valley, comes alive when it sees over 4,000 competitors and 50,000 visitors from over fifty countries gather for one of Wales’ most unique events.

The Minister for Heritage, Alun Ffred Jones, recognises the importance of this internationally renowned event for Welsh tourism, “Llangollen Festival has always had a large impact on the tourist map of Wales, with 50,000 international performers and festival-goers visiting Llangollen each year. The Festival is a unique Welsh event which not only celebrates our own culture but also brings together cultures from around the world. To have such a vibrant international festival on our own doorstep is something we are very proud of here in Wales”.

Originally established in 1947 to promote peace and goodwill between nations through music and dance, the Llangollen Festival continues to thrive and shows no signs of relenting under the current economic climate. Mervyn Cousins, the Festival’s Executive Director reported that “Ticket sales for this year’s Festival are selling well with almost all tickets sold for International Children’s Day on the Tuesday of the Festival, 7th July. We have also seen an increase on ticket sales for Wednesday’s International Song and Dance Day and Saturday’s International Family Day compared with sales for this time last year. The uptake on ticket sales for Saturday’s Family Day suggests that families are this year choosing to spend their holiday time in the UK visiting local events”.

Mervyn Cousins continued to explain that the Festival has this year made a conscious effort to appeal to their local audience “We have extended this year’s Festival programme with an extra day of activities on Sunday 12th July, free to Sunday concert ticket holders, and the Opening Gala on Monday 6th is also an exciting new addition for the evening concert schedule. We are hoping that this year’s programme will appeal to our local and regional communities, as well as our many overseas visitors, as we realise this could be a vulnerable time for us all”. He also commented “This year there will also be more overseas performers due to the improved cost levels of visas making it easier for competitors to travel into the country”.

Ian Williams, Director of North Wales, Enterprise and International Business Wales (WAG) said “North Wales has always been a popular destination with tourists and for over 60 years Llangollen has welcomed visitors from all over the world. And this year we’re cautiously optimistic that North Wales will receive an increase in visitors especially during Festival week”.

An organisation which has already noticed a significant rise in holiday-makers choosing to take their holiday in the UK this year is The Caravan Club. Nikki Nichol, representative for The Caravan Club said "The Caravan Club reports bookings up by 40% for the 2009 season, this is set to be the year of the great British staycation!"

The Minister for Heritage also anticipates the Festival will see an influx of local day-trippers as well as visitors from further afield, “This year we are not only seeing an increase in tourists coming to Wales but seeing more people spending their holiday money on their own doorsteps”.

One person who is particularly looking forward to visiting the International Festival is ITV weather presenter Sian Lloyd, who is hosting Monday night’s Opening Gala and will be present at the Festival as Ambassador on Tuesday 7th July: “Through my travel writing I have visited some of the most beautiful places in the world but can honestly say that Llangollen is up there with the best of them; the area has such an outstanding natural beauty. I’m particularly thrilled to be an Ambassador for the Llangollen International Eisteddfod this year which attracts so many people from across the globe to visit this beautiful part of Wales”.

This year the thousands of people from around the world who visit the North Wales event will not only be welcomed by music and dance competitions but also treated to headline acts including Faryl Smith, Barbara Dickson, Sir Willard White, Blake and Natasha Marsh. The finale of the Festival will see an evening of James Bond music performed by the Welsh National Opera Orchestra, conducted by Carl Davis and starring Bond girl Honor Blackman. What a cocktail...prepare to be shaken AND stirred!