Visitors 'miss' Snowdon village

Businesses claim some visitors do not realise they exist

Businesses based in the centre of a north Wales tourist hotspot claim they are suffering financially because visitors do not realise they exist.

Shopkeepers in Llanberis at the foot of Snowdon, say tourists only see the larger edge-of-village attractions because of a lack of proper road signs.

Every year thousands of people visit the area to climb Snowdon.

Gwynedd council said it was trying to improve the "look" of Llanberis village and new signs were being erected.

Deryl Jones, from the Snowdon Honey Farm and Winery, said redirecting visitors would help the situation.

"When I researched the market in 2003, before opening my shop, Wales Tourist Board figures suggested around 350,000 people went up Snowdon every year, but by my reckoning only around 35,000 of those came into the village centre," he said.

Llanberis could be much more vibrant says Linzi Payge

"What I'd like to see is a new car park on the edge of the lake and then a route which would take visitors through the village centre on their way to the mountain."

Dylan Jones who runs Crib Goch Crafts said: "I spoke to people who had been coming to the area for six years and never realised there were shops here until they asked someone for the nearest chemist."

Jean Roberts, 64, and Eirlys Lee, 70, both from Llanberis said there had been a decline in the number of shops in the village over the years.

"The bypass was built around 20-years-ago, which really affected trade," said Mrs Roberts.

"I lived away for around 50 years and was really surprised by the change when I came back here six years ago," said Mrs Lee.

Linzi Payge from Northampton said she was a frequent visitor to the area.

It's a nice little village but they could list what is available on the signs Koreen Perkins, resident

"I love Llanberis but it's not selling itself well," she said.

"We came here at Christmas expecting it to be quaint, but there were no lights or anything.

"You walk along the High Street and it looks as if everyone is asleep, with shops closed.

"It could be so much more vibrant," she added.

A spokesman for Gwynedd County Council said Llanberis was recognised as a key location in the area.

Work had also been done to improve the "look" of the village with new street signs "drawing attention to local attractions," he said.