The Welsh Government has announced that it has allocated a further £2m to a fund to help tourism and hospitality businesses to withstand rough weather. The Year of Croeso Weatherproofing Fund offered grants of between £5,000 and £20,000 to businesses that employ between 1 and 250 people to make changes to buildings and infrastructure. After the fund received almost 400 applications, it was decided to expand the original budget of £1.75m to meet the demand.
Successful applicants will receive grants that will pay up to 75% of the costs of the project. Tourism and hopitality businesses represent 11.8% of the total jobs in Wales. According to research conducted by Croeso Cymru in 2024, 55% of tourism businesses said that poor weather was the main reason for the drop in the number of tourists.
In a statement by the Welsh Government, Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, Rebecca Evans said:
“Our Welsh tourism and hospitality businesses offer fantastic year-round experiences, but the weather isn’t always on our side. By allocating a further £2 million to our popular weatherproofing fund, the Welsh Government is helping nearly 400 businesses stay open longer, keeping people employed, and boosting local economies across Wales.”
Applications for the fund have already closed, and the successful businesses are being notified at the moment.
