A major drive has been launched to persuade tourists to use public transport when they’re visiting mid and north Wales.
The aim of the campaign by North Wales Tourism is to promote green tourism by reducing the number of cars on the roads and overcrowding at well-known hotspots during peak periods.
It’s aimed at travellers from big cities like London, Manchester and Birmingham and Cardiff using trains run by Transport for Wales (TfW) and Avanti West Coast.
They’re linking with bus routes operated by the long-distance TrawsCymru network and the book-a-ride fflecsi bus service along more local routes.
The idea is to provide a joined up service so people can reach their final destinations without having to drive there.
According to Jim Jones, the Chief Executive of North Wales Tourism, it was a cost-effective option that avoided the stress of driving and parking
He said: “We want to help people escape the city and discover the natural beauty of North Wales.
“After they’ve arrived by train, our visitors can unlock the real treasures of North Wales by bus, cycling or walking.
“The campaign involves lots of social media, posters in certain stations on the rail network and competitions and at the same time we’re collecting lots of data about rail travel into Wales.
“We do have good transport links from London and the other major conurbations and we need to make the most of them.
“The challenge has always been, when people arrive at a North Wales station, how they get to some of the key attractions without relying on a car.
“The missing piece in the jigsaw is the so-called final mile and that’s where TrawsCymru and the fflecsi bus service come in so people can reach their final destination from key, selected places. In essence, it’s all about joined up thinking.
“You go online and you book and you can then travel down the route you have chosen from one of the itineraries and there’s lots of flexibility within those routes.
“The idea is that we attract more visitors to North Wales whilst reducing the number of cars on the road to leverage all the benefits that brings in terms of the environment.
“It makes a lot of sense in every way – this is eco-tourism in action and that’s a growth area at the moment. More and more people what to do things in a sustainable way.
“We’ve all seen the pictures of car parks overflowing at tourism hotspots during peak periods and this will help address that issue.
“We want to flag up how easy it can be to travel by rail so they can literally let the train take the strain with the help of the TrawsCymru and fflecsi bus services.”