North Wales to be ‘centre of excellence for cycling and adventure tourism'
BBC News video report
Centers of excellence for cycling and outdoor pursuits will be established as part of a Ā£16m tourism package announced today.
The money, from the European Regional Development Fund, councils and others, will be used to develop "world-class facilities" to act as a hub for encouraging more sustainable tourism in North Wales’ natural environment.
Welsh heritage minister Alun Ffred Jones will launch the project today at Coed Llandegla, Denbighshire, which is part of the North Wales Cycling Centre.
The Ā£2.2m cycling centre of excellence aims to increase the duration and number of visits by biking enthusiasts.
It will upgrade the facility at Coed Llandegla; extend visitor facilities at Llyn Brenig; link activity hubs at Betws y Coed; and create a natural trail to link Llangollen, Llandegla, Corwen and the Dee Valley. Money will also create two new regional cycling mass participation events of national significance to extend the tourism season.
An off road and cycling activity business centre at Clocaenog Forest is planned, and a distinct regional marketing brand for the area.
Sharon Frobisher, Denbighshire council’s lead member for environment, said: “This funding will allow us to place the region firmly among the best in the country, as well as boosting the local economy and meet the demand from enthusiasts in the cycling world.”
This will also fund the Ā£4m Eryri centre of excellence which will be based in four sites across Snowdonia to provide top class facilities for cross country and downhill mountain biking, angling, walking, mountaineering, and water sports.
A new activity centre and additional cross country mountain biking trails at the Coed y Brenin site near Dolgellau are planned along with a new downhill cycling facility around the old Llechwedd quarry workings in Blaenau Ffestiniog; and cycling loops around Tanygrisiau lake.
New facilities will be built at Trawsfynydd lake, including visiting and competition anglers and additional facilities at the Urdd’s Glan Llyn site near Bala, including a cycle link to Llanuwchllyn.
Dyfed Edwards, leader of Gwynedd council, said: “The project will be built on our vision to increase the involvement of the local community in this sector and to bring the industry closer to the heart of the community itself.”
Danny Walter, editor of Mountain Biking UK magazine, said: “This is really exciting news. This whole project should help make North Wales one of the UK’s premier mountain biking destinations.”
Heritage minister Alun Ffred Jones said: “These centres will provide world class facilities in a wide range of outdoor tourism activities and will showcase what Wales has to offer to visitors as a sustainable tourism destination.
“I hope these centres will attract more visitors to every corner of Wales and this demonstrates how serious the Assembly Government is about supporting this vital sector of the Welsh economy,” he added.
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I've got some decisions to make.
) and my wife wants to move house in about 18 months (
) so unless I get a significantly better paid job my “toy” money isn’t going to stretch to a Ā£2K bike! An ex-demo bike is a good idea especially as you don’t get as much for your money compared to a couple of years ago. It would have to be a pretty good deal though to entice me away from the latest shiny shiny 
