Festivals and events in Powys which have been cancelled because of the coronavirus are worth about £70 million to the county, Powys Council's leader has said.

Writing her monthly column for the County Times, to be published this week, Powys Council leader Rosemarie Harris said that the absence of annual events such as the Royal Welsh Show and Machynlleth Comedy Festival would have a far-reaching impact on the county's financial prospects this year.

"The cabinet has started to focus its attention on the future and what the county may look like post Covid-19," she said.

"We all know Powys is heavily reliant on tourism and that our major events play a crucial role. The loss of the Royal Welsh Show, Hay Festival, the Green Man, Festival, Brecon Jazz, Machynlleth Comedy Festival and many other smaller events during 2020 will be keenly felt by businesses across the county.

"It is estimated that they generate around £70 million for the county’s economy. Their cancellation will also have far reaching supply chain consequences for the whole hospitality sector in Powys, particularly hotels, bed and breakfasts, restaurants, and public houses."

The overall value of tourism to Powys is somewhere in the region of £865 million, supporting 11,662 jobs and attracting 4.69 million visitors.

And Cllr Harris said she has written to the UK Government's Secretary of State for Wales, Simon Hart, and to Welsh Government Minister Ken Skates asking for their help in ensuring event organisers would be able to survive the impact of the pandemic.

"Should some of these events not be able to return following the pandemic it will leave a considerable economic and cultural chasm not only in Powys, but throughout Wales," she added.

"I have thanked the ministers for the business support already provided to the county, our staff have allocated £42 million to nearly 4,000 businesses since the start of the pandemic."

  • For Cllr Harris's full column, see this Friday's County Times.