South Wales Evening Post - 22 March 2006
Swansea needs to be bold and take tourism seriously if the city is going to prosper, says the boss of a top attraction. Geoff Haden, owner of the Clyne Farm centre, said leisure businesses in the area needed to be forward thinking and take the lead in promoting the city.
And he said he supported last week's call from industry expert Terry Stevens for Swansea to be more ambitious and aim to be the best.
Mr Haden said it was up to individual businesses to take the initiative in developing attractions.He said that Swansea had once led the way in innovation but that attitudes had changed.
And he cited examples of the building of the docks, the Mumbles railway and world-leading developments in the metal industry as examples of where Swansea had once been bold.
He said: "The entrepreneurial spirit has disappeared and projects that could make a huge difference are frowned upon.
"Tourism is now big business and Swansea has a village mentality when it comes to embracing the industry."
The Clyne Farm boss, who is vice-chairman of Tourism Swansea Bay, said Swansea should be thinking about transforming itself into a modern European city.
And he suggested that a landmark building could be a major part in that process. He gave the example of the Spanish city of Bilbao as showing what could be achieved. He said: "Bilbao has gone from being a rather dreary industrial city to a major destination thanks to the Guggenheim Museum.
"It cost £30 million but it generated an extra £100 million of tourism income in the first year alone. Now the city is a must-see destination in Europe.
"That is what can be done with a truly great, iconic building.
"Perhaps it is that kind of spirit we need to see in Swansea."
Meanwhile, South West Wales AM Dai Lloyd has called for more help for entrepreneurs who want to start new businesses in Swansea.
He said the Assembly was "failing in its attempts to encourage and support small businesses within Swansea. Wales's second city should be an economic powerhouse".
An Assembly spokesman replied: "The economic background to starting a business in Wales is one of the most favourable in living history."
