Frequently-Asked Questions
What's the difference between subscription members and basic members?
Subscription members are property owners that pay an all-inclusive annual subscription for their properties to benefit from the full range of live online services provided by the Tourism Wales UK programme. Subscription members have their own Wales.info websites, Staying in Wales microsites, with live links to their own websites and are able through these to take part in year-round Tourism Wales UK marketing campaigns at no extra cost. Subscription members also have priority over basic members in all search listings, with live links that allow performance and value for money to be measured.
Basic members have simple free listings at the Staying in Wales website comprising property name,
address and telephone number. They come second to subscription members in search listings and have no live links. As a result it is not possible to measure performance.
Are you part of Visit Wales?
No. We are a Visit Wales data distributor and share the information Visit Wales has on its database to add value to Visit Wales marketing.
Are you associated with North Wales Tourism or Mid Wales Tourism?
We were members of all three regional tourism companies (RTCs) until the Wales Tourist Board (WTB) withdrew their funding and set up the Regional Tourism Partnerships (RTPs) instead.
What's the difference between the Regional Tourism Partnerships and the Regional Tourism Companies?
Unlike the RTCs the RTPs are non-membership organisations and in theory do not engage directly in consumer marketing activity. The RTCs on the other hand have retained their members and continue to provide consumer marketing services.
What's happened to the Wales Tourist Board?
The Board was closed down in 2005 and Visit Wales became a slimmed-down department within the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG).
Are you Stay in Wales or Staying in Wales?
Staying in Wales is now part of Tourism Wales UK and was a company set up in 2004 to continue internet marketing developments for Taste of Wales members when the Welsh Development Agency discontinued the scheme. It was and still is a membership organisation specialising in online marketing for hospitality providers in Wales using listings.
Why did you choose such a similar name and cause so much confusion?
We didn't. Nor, to be fair did Stay in Wales, though we accept there's been some confusion. The stayinginwales.com domain was first registered by an individual who subsequently lost interest in the project. Staying in Wales is now part of Tourism Wales UK but retains both its membership and Staying in Wales brand. Staying in Wales members gain preferential rates for additional services provided by Tourism Wales UK.
What kind of organisation is Tourism Wales UK?
Tourism Wales UK is a programme for marketing, promoting and improving the performance of hospitality providers' own websites using spatial search, social media and e-learning. Its aim is to generate enquiries that result in direct one-to-one bookings for providers with no commission payable.
While significant advantage can be gained by providers who have commission-free availability/booking systems built into their own websites, it works equally well for providers signed up to commission agencies such as Booking.com, Late Rooms and Guestlink.
The 'BOOK NOW' links provided by Tourism Wales UK go to wherever providers want them go; to their own websites or to their agency web pages.
What is Wales.info?
Wales.info is the top-level internet information domain for Wales. It is valuable real estate on the worlwide web for information provision, marketing and promotion of Wales. Tourism Wales UK uses the domain to focus in on tourism, recreation and leisure opportunities in Wales using intelligent mapping for spatial searches with the added dimension of time.
Do you provide free listings?
Yes. Free listings are provided by Staying in Wales. The Tourism Wales UK Programme and its Resource Centre, however, is by annual subscription.
Do you charge for advertising?
No, not in the sense most people who ask this question mean. Tourism Wales UK members pay an annual subscription to take full advantage of the programme's Resource Centre including membership of Staying in Wales.
What are your subscription rates?
Subscription rates start at £180 +VAT from 1st January for the full calendar year and reduce as each month passes. There's an introductory rate of £120 +VAT for annual subscriptions received before 1st January and further reductions for subscription renewals.
Annual subscriptions can be paid monthly by PayPal @ £15 +VAT.
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