THE importance of tourism to Monmouthshire will be recognised by the county council as part of Wales Tourism Week.

Figures from STEAM (Scarborough Tourism Economic Activity Model) show that the industry was worth £187 million to the county in 2015.

Since 2012, the region has also seen 10 per cent real growth in terms of economic impact, 8.7 growth in visitor numbers and a 1.5 per cent increase in full-time equivalent jobs.

To maintain this growth, the council formed a Destination Management Plan from 2012 to 2015 to guide identify key priorities moving forward.

This plan has since been reviewed and a revised plan for 2017-2020 will receive a final consultation at 5pm on Wednesday, May 31.

The plan establishes a clear framework for a public, private and voluntary sector partnership working to ensure a coordinated approach and best use of available resources.

Commitments to tourism were also reinforced by the launch of the council’s VisitMonmouthshire.com website last year.

A survey of local businesses conducted last year found that the council site and VisitWales.com were the second and third most-visited sources of businesses after their own websites.

Local tourism also received a boost last week when the council’s tourism team received notification of approval of Rural Development Programme funding.

This two year EU-funded project covers Monmouthshire and the rural wards of Newport and includes a study on best practice visitor information provision, a local visitor information point scheme and the development of Abergavenny and Chepstow tourist information centres as hubs for coach tourism.

Monmouthshire’s chief executive Paul Matthews said: “Monmouthshire has so much to offer visitors, whether they come for the day or longer.

“The county is the food capital of Wales, boasts incredible scenery, offers wonderful opportunities for cycling and walking, is home to castles, abbeys, historic market towns and industrial archaeology, is easy to get to and is the venue for many enticing events and attractions. The Visit Monmouthshire website identifies all that’s best about the county.”