£7m plans to upgrade Wales’ most beautiful tourist attraction

The Brecon Beacons, known locally as Waterfall Country in Bannau Brycheiniog, is one of the most picturesque spots in South Wales and has seen a resurgence in popularity in the age of social media tourism and after being named one of the New York Times’ best places in the world to visit in 2024.

This summer, national park officials cautioned visitors of the harmful pollutant effects of driving to and from the hilly area, urging them to rely on local transport instead amid a rise in tourists, totalling around four million this year.

New bus services were launched from the nearby towns of Brecon and Merthyr Tydfil during 2024’s peak season – but a local council is planning a further £7 million scheme to better equip the Waterfall Country for its rising status as a day-trip and staycation destination.

The scheme will include the development of a new car park, shop and accommodation near the park – giving visitors easy access to the stunning waterfall and mountain range scenery.

It will also provide a road upgrade and eight new bedrooms for tourists, funded by the government’s Levelling Up Fund, with work expected to begin in early 2025.

While the 125-space car park has been designed to take the pressure of surrounding villages, which can be inundated with vehicles over the summer months, other components of the multi-million-pound plans are more recreational – and include a new playground and coffee kiosk.

Nearth Talbot Council put the plans forward in a bid to “ease visitor pressures”, the BBC reports, and they were unanimously approved by the local authority’s planning committee this week.

The Brecon Beacons has long been a tourist draw thanks to its wide range of walking routes, dotted with historic ruins and beautiful sweeping landscapes.

The 520-mile national park is just 40 miles from Cardiff but offers a thoroughly rural breath of fresh air, with acres of woodland, scenic lakes and family activities including alpaca trekking, mini donkey walks and sheepdog herding.

As well as boosting infrastructure to deal with rising demand, the Welsh government is considering introducing a nightly visitor tax for popular tourism spots.

The proposed fee of £1.25 would apply to visitors staying in hotels, B&Bs and self-catered accommodation, while a cost of 75p would be charged to those at campsites, hostels and caravan sites.

The government argues that the tax would help to fund better local public services, but business owners who make a living from holidaymakers aren’t convinced.

Anthony Christopher, landlord of the Penycae Inn, a stone-built pub on the edge of the Bannau Brycheiniog national park, said: “I just feel like calling this government a bunch of weasels.”

“We’re a small family business and all these extra taxes are taking away the will to do anything else,” he told Sky News.

“We have national insurance already – contributions are very high. VAT is very high. Now this tax is coming – it’s a disaster. We have to put this charge on the customers – how much more can we put on the customers? It’s terrible.”