Will the last Welshman in Wrexham please turn off the lights

The summer weather may be faltering but Wales has reason to feel sunny this week. The latest round of figures from the Office of National Statistics shows that Wales is bucking the trend amongst the regions of the UK to report an increase in visitor numbers.

It received 1.1m foreign visitors in 2008, compared to 987,000 in 2007. Both England and Scotland reported a decline in figures. Visitors to Wales are being wooed by the charms of Cardiff, Pembrokeshire, Snowdonia and the Brecon Beacons amongst others.

But, I suspect, they are not thronging en masse to Wrexham. In fact, according to a local, internet-based campaign, major changes are needed to lure tourists back to the main town in Northeast Wales.

To find out why, I went to the North Wales border town to meet Wrexham resident and social-networking afficiando, Jane Redfern Jones.

A local community councillor and the editor of the website, Wrexham Today, Jane recently launched a group on Facebook to promote the idea that Wrexham needs to be more Welsh. The group, Wrexham Facebookers, now baosts over 1,100 members - all of them keen to espouse the joys of Wrexham as a hotbed of Welsh nationhood and culture.

"For me it's the Welsh identity that would draw in the tourists," says Jane, who grew up near Chirk in the Ceiriog Valley.

"By branding Wrexham as the borderlands, the council is failing to promote the Welsh heritage. In fact, the idea of promoting Wrexham as a border town simple makes it seem second best to Chester."

Wandering around town after coffee with Jane, Wrexham certainly looks like a place struggling to find its identity in the contemporary, more forward-looking Wales.

Aside from the bilingual street signs and some public art (above, right) reflecting the town's industrial heritage, there is little to say you're actually in Wales.

That is, of course, aside from Gareth Jones, who runs a Welsh gifts stall in Wrexham General Market.

Gareth does a roaring trade in car bumper stickers saying 'Proud to be Welsh' (£1), while figurines of the nationalist hero Owain Glyndwr (£2.99) are positivey flying off the shelves.

But, surrounded by a patriotic fervour of fluffy dragons, sloganeering stickers and figurines of anti-Establishment heroes, does Gareth feel like the only Welshman in Wrexham?

"I'm Wrexham born and bred but not a Welsh speaker. It's just how I am. But whenever I see a Welsh flag, I feel proud," he says.

So, should tourism officials in Wrexham do more to promote Welsh culture? And is a sense of local cultural heritage essential to attract tourists - or do the majority of punters simply come for anodyne shopping centres and bland high-street coffee chains?

Post your comments below and we'll discuss further on the Duncan Barkes breakfast show on City Talk this week.

Over to you ...

Getting paid for his summer holiday

Early starts on Tuesdays from now onwards. From this week Hit the North joins Duncan Barkes on the new breakfast show on City Talk to discuss all things travel at 7.45am.

We will be particularly looking at travel and tourism news, trends and controversies around the great Northwest and Wales. And we want to hear from you. Post your comments below, or follow us on Twitter. Tell us about the burning travel issues where you are and we'll put them on air.

To kick things off, I'll be asking if it's time to hang up my black moleskin notepad (last used on the summit of Snowdon, above left) and give up on travel writing once and for all. The reason? The man who brought us mistletoe and wine is steaming in on my patch.

Yes, that's right. Sir Cliff is one of the writers featured on Simon Seeks, the new travel website dominating the headlines today. The new venture from Simon Nixon, who founded his multi-million-pound Moneysupermarket business in Chester before moving it to North Wales, works on a revenue-sharing model of user-generated content.

I've so far politely declined the lure of Simon Seeks and have major reservations about whether it would pay. Others clearly share these reservations. Some freelance colleagues are dipping a toe in the water but worried about the long-term repercussions on the craft of the professional travel writer.

Sir Cliff's travel-scribing debut, a piece about his love of Barbados, is more notable for its cringe-inducing use of exclamation marks than its jaw-dropping literary merit but, hey, he'll get the hang of this travel writing lark. Give the young lad a chance.

As will, no doubt, that bloke who used to play guitar in Toploader. He did Dubai in a weekend apparently. Huzzah.

So join us at 7.45am this Tuesday. I'll at least get one in before Sir Cliff muscles in on this too.

Best of Britain - best of banal more like

I come to praise British tourism, not bury it. No, really, I do. It's an honourable vocation and one I'm happy to support. That's why I paid my own way down to Excel in London's Docklands a few days ago to attend Best of Britain & Ireland, a trade show devoted to domestic tourism that has replaced the British Travel Trade Fair. 

Thursday was press day and I was keen to find some strong new ideas and angles on stories as I had in previous years. Stories that I would go on to sell to my editors and, in turn, help to promote the superb array of Great British tourism activities on offer in this country.

On Thursday afternoon at the near-deserted press room I collected the press pack, including a news release that quotes Sandie Dawe, Deputy Chief Executive of Visit Britain thus: "Best of Britain & Ireland ... could be a real tipping point for British tourism."

A real tipping point? Walking round the exhibition, the sound of tumbleweed blowing by my feet, it felt like British tourism had already tipped off and given up.

The problems for a freelance writer like me? Attendance was very low; hardly any press officers from regional tourist boards on their respective stands (those who did turn up all seemed to leave early); nobody had any fresh ideas; no creative vision; and no attempt to capitalise on the golden opportunity that this year presents given the currency situation in the Eurozone.

Visit Britain themselves are keen to talk up the idea that 5m extra Brits are considering taking a holiday at home this year. But, after this woeful experience, I'm more inclined to bin a UK break in favour of a cheap package deal in Turkey, Egypt or Croatia - three places where our pounds still has some purchasing power. That would also trump Britain on the weather and cost issue too.

I would have come away totally empty handed were it not for Visit Wales, whose professional press officer met at the stand, discussed story ideas and helped with contacts to arrange forthcoming projects. I came away with two concrete story ideas to progress and several more to ponder. Isn't that the whole point of a press day?

But where the hell was everyone else? Experience Nottinghamshire didn't show up at all, opting instead to exhibit at the Outdoors Show at Birmingham's NEC. Did they know something I didn't? Is it simply all over for this event as a launching pad for the UK media to report on domestic tourism?

The Maison de la France do this kind of thing rather well with their France Meets the Media events. So why can't Visit Britain with all the resources at its disposal? 

If I attend next year - and that's a big if right now - then here's what I expect from it:

* Well-briefed press officers on stands to deal with journalist enquiries and promote their region

* A brief ideas document on each regional stand outlining new events, projects, hooks, angles to help writers formulate must-commission proposals

* Some kind of evening networking event with media and regional tourism PRs, plus people from Visit Britain, Wales, Ireland, Scotland to set the proactive and collaborative tone for the daytime talking shop.

I'm not getting ideas above my station here. I know that I'm just one of hundreds of active freelancers but, if I feel bitterly disappointed about my experience, how many other writers feel the same? 

If anyone would actually like to respond, then please leave your comments below or email me direct (find contacts at my website www.atkinsondavid.co.uk).

We'll be discussing what went wrong as part of my regular travel slot on the Duncan Barkes programme on City Talk this week. On air Friday morning from 10.15am.

Over to you.