Tourism surge Wales strains mobile networks hitting local businesses

Tourism is giving the North Wales economy a significant boost as it enters the peak season, yet local businesses are struggling to capitalise on this surge due to inadequate mobile signal capacity.

This issue was highlighted by a taxi driver who sometimes finds himself unable to process payments from customers.

Despite ongoing improvements in mobile coverage across Wales, with 86 Westminster-funded 4G masts currently being installed, signal drop-outs still plague even areas known for strong connectivity. During the busy summer months, Conwy taxi driver Dave Fare often can't use his SumUp card machine a crucial tool for his business, accounting for nearly 70% of his transactions.

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The influx of tourists puts a strain on the local mobile networks, resulting in unreliable service, according to Dave. "I was told by one provider, O2, that I needed to wait until winter to have reliable service restored," explained the 46 year old father of two.

"Sometimes it's a struggle to get a 4G signal good enough for the payment machine, let alone 5G," lamented Dave, who works as a self-employed driver for Premier Cars Llandudno. Despite switching network providers multiple times over recent years, he has seen little improvement, particularly during school holidays when the population in the area can swell significantly.

"It's not great when you hand over the machine to a customer and it doesn't work it's embarrassing when they say they get a better reception out in the sticks. When this happens, I have one of two options.", reports North Wales Live.

"I can take them to the nearest cashpoint so they can draw out money but this may be some distance away and is time-consuming. It's also a big inconvenience for customers."

"The other option which I usually take is to trust in human nature. Having dropped them off, I'll send them a payment link when I get a signal. Sadly, not everyone pays. It's not a massive number less than 1% - but it does happen."

Dave, who previously ran Ye Olde Mail Coach in his hometown of Conwy, remarked that the mobile networks in Llandudno are often overwhelmed during the summer months. With the town home to 20,000 inhabitants, it sees an influx of up to seven million tourists annually, which puts considerable strain on services, particularly in peak season.

He posits that there's more mobile use among the visitors compared to locals. "They're all checking out places to visit, looking at Tripadvisor, searching for bus times and trying to find out what's going on," he observed.

"The networks can't cope. It's been an issue for quite some time now but with more services relying on mobile, it's becoming more of a problem."

An insight into the impact of tourism on North Wales was provided by SumUp's transaction data from last month's half-term break (May 29-31). The figures revealed a significant boost in business, with tourism-related enterprises registering an average 63% rise in takings from the week prior.

Recreation venues emerged as the top winners, experiencing a staggering 161% surge in weekly revenue. Cafes and restaurants also enjoyed a significant uptick with a 76% increase, while music venues and outdoor markets saw gains of 44% and 51%, respectively.

More modest rises were noted for mobile food vans, which went up by 9%, and taxis, with a slight 2% rise. Taxi operator Dave Fare wasn't surprised by the figures, attributing his steady clientele to the consistent demand throughout the year.

"We always see big increases during half-term and the summer holidays," he commented. "Tourism is the region's lifeblood take it away and there wouldn't be much industry left."

Fare also mentioned that weather plays a crucial role, though this year has been less than ideal. Nevertheless, he believes Llandudno's resilience and Conwy's variety of weather-independent activities keep the area thriving.

"There will always be challenges but my biggest threat is not the weather or a potential tourist tax but the lack of a good mobile signal during the summer! " he added.