Eluned Morgan Assembly Member visited the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Visitor Centre – sometimes known as the Mountain Centre – to see changes underway at the National Park Visitor Centre for herself. The Regional Assembly Member for Mid and West Wales was met by the Authority’s Chief Executive John Cook and Chair Melanie Doel who introduced her to National Park staff working with the communities and tourism businesses across the National Park. She was pleased to see the centre was open for business as usual and that improvements have been made for the future.
The manager and staff from the Centre tearooms explained the changes underway to franchise the tearooms to a private company and that in two months the information desk will open for the new season. She met the local arts and crafts co-operative Platform 1 who have taken over the first floor shop during Christmas and the winter months to sell their crafts. The AM was also introduced to the Ambassador programme – a three day training for tourism businesses on what makes the Park so special – part of the Authority’s extensive work on tourism that ensures visitors get information from a wide variety of sources. She heard about the Authority’s work with the Ponsticill Community to make the village even more attractive to Visitors.
The Labour Assembly Member was impressed with the changes and commented;
“There’s been a huge turn around in the running of the Centre which means it can continue to stay open all year round. Local craftspeople are staffing the shop outside the main visitor season and that keeps it going and ensures Visitors still have the opportunity to go home with something which really reminds them of their visit to the Bannau Brycheiniog. The Ambassador programme means that local tourist operators and taxi drivers are able to give far more information to visitors about the wider Bannau Brycheiniog area, encouraging visitors to travel that bit further through the National Park spreading the economic benefit.”
National Park Authority Chair Mel Doel added;
“We were delighted to welcome Assembly Member Elunud Morgan to this wonderful centre. Like many she had heard completely incorrect rumours about its future so she was pleased to witness the thriving arts and crafts shop which 12 local businesses are now helping to run, and impressed by the newly refurbished information area and to hear about future plans for the ever popular tearooms. As this year – our sixtieth anniversary – progresses I hope more and more people will follow Eluned Morgan AM up to the Visitor Centre in the hills outside Libanus and be equally delighted by what they find here and will welcome the changes we have made.”
ENDS