Tourism leaders are calling on the Welsh Government to provide interim funding to keep open cafes and shops at three Natural Resources Wales visitor centres until businesses can be found to run them.

NRW announced last week that it plans to end retail and catering services at Coed y Brenin, Bwlch Nant yr Arian and Ynyslas visitor centres, essentially closing them.

NRW bosses and the Welsh Government have been pushing a line over the last week that the centres won't close, but campaigners argue, without staff, the centres will shut, although paths and toilets on the sites will remain open.

Now, Mid Wales Tourism chief executive Zoe Hawkins and Mid Wales Tourism Forum chairman, Steve Hughson, have both expressed grave concern about the economic impact of the closures.

They have also questioned how much money the NRW will actually save by the cuts.

Mabon ap Gwynfor MS told the Senedd on Tuesday that the three centres draw in around £30 million to the local economy and called for an impact assessment to be carried out.

MWT Cymru organised a meeting in September with MSs, industry leaders and NRW officials to discuss the closure plans and their potential impact.

During the meeting, MWT Cymru, Mr Hughson and other stakeholders called for interim funding to maintain operations until businesses are found to take over the cafes and shops at the centres. NRW estimated that between £1.2 and £1.4 million would be needed.

Miss Hawkins says the three centres attract nearly half a million visitors a year to Mid Wales and are crucial to the local economy and sustainability of rural communities, saying: “While we understand NRW’s reasons for considering closures, opportunities for external management must be explored to ensure continuity and support for the region’s economy.

“If these facilities close, investment in marketing these sites becomes uncertain.

“The socio-economic impact appears to have been overlooked, with potentially serious consequences. With more visitors to these sites than the combined population of Ceredigion and Gwynedd, it’s clear that closures could have significant economic repercussions.”

Mr Hughson said he was disappointed that NRW had not agreed to the sensible solution of keeping open café and shop facilities at the visitor centres until businesses could be found to take them over.

“We hoped that there was room for further negotiation.

“I would like to know how these closures fit in with the Welsh Government’s target for growth.”