Year of Croeso: Weather-Proofing Fund for Tourism Attractions 2025-2026
Visit Wales is running a small-scale capital grants fund in 2025-2026 to support tourism attractions to invest in weather-proofing measures.
Fund objectives
Tourism attractions highlight poor weather as a significant factor affecting trade. The Welsh Government’s Climate Adaptation Strategy outlines its approach to mitigating climate impacts, with the Business Adaptation Action Plan emphasizing the need to protect businesses and explore resilience funding. Our Tourism Strategy aims to boost visitor spending and promote year-round tourism but businesses report that adverse weather hinders these goals.
Purpose of fund
Periods of poor weather negatively affect the operation of tourism attraction businesses in two main ways:
- by preventing the business from operating as normal (for example, if a facility becomes water-logged)
- by impacting negatively on the visitor experience and/or discouraging visits.
Weather-proofing measures supported by this Fund will be aimed at: - mitigating these impacts by helping to support the business’s economic resilience and adaptability,
- strengthen the climate resilience of the business,
- help enable the business to offer its best possible welcome to visitors during the 2025 Year of Croeso.
What will it fund?
The Fund is offering capital grants of between £5,000 and £20,000, which must be used before 31 March 2026. No revenue costs will be considered. The grant can support up to 75% of the costs of the weather-proofing measures (or up to £20,000 if this is less than 75% of the costs).
The remainder of the costs must be financed by the business from its own funds or private sources of finance. Applicants cannot use any other form of grant or funding from any public sector organisation as match funding.
Projects must be completed, full spend incurred and claimed by 31 March 2026.
Eligible weather-proofing measures will include:
- measures which mitigate the impact of poor weather on the business
- measures which mitigate the impact of poor weather on the visitor experience
- Please refer to the Guidance Notes for further information on eligibility.
Who is eligible?
Tourism attraction businesses in Wales which:
- are accredited as visitor attractions under the VAQAS scheme (or are eligible and willing to seek VAQAS accreditation as a condition of grant)
- are micro, small or medium sized enterprises (employing up to 249 employees)
- have been trading for at least one year as a limited company, partnership or sole trader or social enterprise
- receive visitors in a setting where poor weather can impact on the business performance and the visitor experience