A number of tourists have hit out at a new 20mph rule in Wales - with some even vowing not to visit the country because of it.
In September last year, the Welsh government introduced the new default speed limit on roads across the country. It says it will reduce the number of collisions and resultant severe injuries which will in turn also reduce the impact on the NHS from treating the people who are injured. They also hope it will encourage more people to walk and cycle, improving people's health as well as making the streets safer particularly for children
But it has led some who work in tourism in Wales to share concerns that fewer people might visit. Although the latest figures show that more people visited Wales in 2023 than expected with visits up 4% compared with 2022, the new speed limit law will have had little bearing on last year's figures after only being introduced on September 17, reports North Wales Live.
And this year, some potential holidaymakers have bemoaned they will not be visiting because of the new speed limits, WalesOnline says.
One man said: "We love it but giving it a miss this year, heard too many negative reviews on the new speed limit." Another added: "There's no way I'm going there with stupid 20mph limits, it's too stressful."
One woman from Wigan said on social media: "We're here at the moment and it will be the last," she said. "Can't be doing with this 20mph rubbish. Don't even know where it applies. There should be signs everywhere."
A woman from Birmingham agreed: "I love North Wales but the new speed limits put me off going there now." It's an opinion shared by some visitors who have experienced the new changes in the law already.
In November, a Cornish holidaymaker wrote to his local paper saying that, despite having a "wonderful few days" in Caernarfon, Gwynedd, the holiday "will be my last one in Wales". He added: "The 20mph speed limit in previously 30 limits is horrendous. I spent so much time checking my speedo I am sure I was a danger to pedestrians and errant drivers. My wife was glued to the satnav reminding me whenever I was approaching 20 and couldn't appreciate the view."
Another man from Gloucestershire wrote to his local paper saying he won't be coming back to Wales for his usual holidays. He and his wife, who are retired, usually come to Wales a few times a year. He said: "Sadly we have decided to call a stop to our Welsh breaks as we are not prepared to risk a large fine and three penalty points for accidentally doing 22mph in a built-up area. I might add that several of our acquaintances all feel the same."
Police forces have said they will give drivers a bit more leeway while they get used to the new rules. Only people driving at 26mph or more are likely to get a fine. But some people's perceptions remain hard to change.
A holidaymaker from Lincolnshire said her son-in-law had a "lovely holiday" in North Wales last year but was left upset by the speed limits on Welsh roads. She wrote: "He has vowed never to set foot in Wales again until those dangerous speed limits are removed."
She added: "Very often it had not been made clear (the speed limits) had been reduced. As a relatively new and inexperienced driver, he was so concerned with not breaking the law that even when he wasn't driving he was really worried about them. Have I gone over by 1mph? Am I going to be fined on a new licence? ".
The Welsh Government explained that 20mph speeds apply on any road with street lamps. That's except where there are exemptions in these cases, where signs are provided advising drivers of the maximum speed applicable.
While many of these concerns are genuinely held, just as many motorists from England and beyond have welcomed the new 20mph regime and are looking forward to slower-paced visits. Equally, there's bemusement over the belief that 20mph roads are somehow uniquely Welsh.
Some English cities and towns have been grappling with them for years. After holidaying in 20mph north Wales, a Birmingham visitor said: "I found it much quicker to get from one place to another than it is in most parts of England."
Visiting Wales remains a great way to relax and slow down. "As an Englishman, I travel to Wales maybe 4-6 times a year for walking trips," said a visitor from Leicester. "The speed limits mean you can slow down and take in the beauty."
Within the country, there are many who support 20mph and say life in towns and villages has improved since vehicles were slowed down. "The 20mph limit is a sensible move and generally it seems to have calmed things down in residential areas," said a Bangor man.
Another, from Llangollen, added: "It's there for the safety of our people and our visitors. If you don't want to pay fines, then just drive to the law." There's even a sense the speed regime will attract an "older, better class" of visitor. Yet the idea of tailbacks of chilled retirees making their way through the Welsh countryside doesn't fill everyone with joy.
"The (new) speed limits are a blight to us locals," said a Penmaenmawr driver. "Maybe (they) like to amble along and take in the scenery, but some of us have to live here and work here and all of our commutes now take significantly longer, as well as the absolute havoc it has played with the bus routes."
It's a recurring theme. Another Welshman said he was worried that 20mph will have little effect on tourism, only locals. "If people want to come and enjoy the landscape, 20mph will probably benefit them," he said. A local resident said: "It's we locals who need to get to work and back and have to get stuck behind them in convoys of vehicles bunching up dangerously and tutting, not letting anyone out of side roads. You don't visit Wales to rush through it."
In all likelihood, only a minority of English tourists will stay away, terrified they'll return home to find police and DVLA letters on doormats. Like drivers in Wales, the rest will soon adjust to the new speed default, even those who don't agree with it.
Anecdotal feedback suggests a dismal start to 2024 for some tourism communities, though this perhaps stems less from 20mph than from squeezed consumer spending. At the same time, others appear to be thriving, as reported by an Anglesey resident, who said visitors were "coming in droves".
He wailed: "I can hardly get into my local pub anymore! ", who said visitors were "coming in droves". He wailed: "I can hardly get into my local pub anymore! "Many people working in Welsh tourism have a lot of worries, and most of them are about rules and money.
One big worry is the planned visitor levy (tourist tax), which is due to start in 2027. Industry leaders are worried that this could have a much bigger impact than speed limits.
