WITH holiday accomodation in Wales allowed to re-open from tomorrow, the impact of tourism on communities in West Wales should be examined, a county councillor has said.

Cllr Michael Williams, one of Pembrokeshire County Council’s representatives for Tenby, said that last summer saw a high level of pressure put on certain areas as more people opted to holiday in the UK following the lifting of the first national lockdown for coronavirus.

At a Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority meeting on Wednesday, March 24, Cllr Williams said there was a need “to look more closely at managing tourism, the pressure on communities in some areas is immense,” adding this summer had the potential to be “approaching the same level of pressure as last summer.”

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National Park chief executive Tegryn Jones said that there was a greater recognition of the problem by Welsh Government.

There were-discussions about legislation and other policies to support tourism areas, particularly when it came to problems such as overnight camping and second homes underway, and the “opportunity for finding solutions hopefully more positive.”

Locally there was a push to encourage campers to use registered sites as well as highlighting all the areas worth visiting, not just tourist hotspots.

The comments came as the Authority meeting received its annual remit letter from minister Lesley Griffiths which states: “2020 has brought many challenges, in terms of impact on your finances and also in managing unprecedented numbers of visitors. I am grateful for the dedication of your staff in working positively and proactively to overcome these challenges.”

Wales’ tourism sector will be able to start re-opening from Saturday, March 27, as the stay-local rule is lifted, First Minister Mark Drakeford has announced.

Holiday park operator Haven, which owns Kiln Park in Tenby and the nearby Penally Court and Lydstep Beach holiday parks, as well as Quay West in New Quay on Cardigan Bay, has announced it will reopen most of its parks on April 2.