Tourism and the post-pandemic holiday let economy

With restrictions on travelling abroad, the Covid-19 pandemic led to an increase in demand for holiday lets in the UK.  It’s a trend which has continued and researchers from Aberystwyth Business School of Business were keen to look in more detail at the relationship between this rise in holiday letting and the tourism economy in West and North Wales.  

Their main objective was to gauge the size of the holiday let economy in Ceredigion, Gwynedd and Pembrokeshire and to assess its wider impact. As part of their project, researchers carried out interviews with staff working in tourism organisations, attractions and businesses. They also brought representatives of the tourism industry together in Aberystwyth in June 2024 for a special knowledge exchange event, where they presented and discussed their findings.

Dr Maria Plotnikova, a lecturer in Economics at Aberystwyth Business School, said: “During the event, the group shared the emerging issues that holiday let businesses and attractions are facing. These include the increase in occupancy rate to be eligible for domestic rates, public perception of holiday lets, and coordination and cooperation between the attractions to improve the tourism experience for visitors.”

Dr Mandy Talbot, a lecturer at Aberystwyth Business School, added: “The outcome of this collaborative activity has been the co-creation of new knowledge and a shared understanding of the issues the businesses face. Our findings will help tourism stakeholders understand current trends and the challenges and opportunities facing businesses in a rapidly changing environment. We will also present a report based on our findings to Welsh Government and other decision makers to help inform policy and regulation.”