A corner of north east Wales has ‘so much to offer’ for tourism according to a local MS.

Ken Skates, a former Welsh Government tourism minister, said his constituency is ‘brimming with potential’, and believes it will continue to keep local employment figures above the UK average.

“Tourism is – and always will be – a key sector for Clwyd South and it’s a crucial driver of the local and regional economy,” said Mr Skates. “Our area has so much to offer and it’s a constituency I’m hugely proud to represent.

“We have two beautiful valleys, the Dee and Ceiriog. The latter was where the Battle of Crogen took place in 1165, which saw King Henry II’s army forced to retreat by brave Welsh soldiers. And we have the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the Horseshoe Pass.

“Then there’s the 200-year-old Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, the first transnational UNESCO World Heritage Site, which stretches for 11 miles through some of the most important industrial heritage anywhere in the world.

“Llangollen is home to the world famous International Musical Eisteddfod and the recently-restored railway line to Corwen, and Rhosllanerchrugog is home to the iconic Stiwt theatre which remains a prominent venue for Welsh language arts.”

The famous Llangollen-Corwen line has been gradually restored in recent years, with support from the Welsh Government, and volunteers will officially reopen Corwen Station next month.

“The team has done an incredible job, and it’s taken years of blood, sweat and tears from the volunteers,” said Mr Skates. “It’s been a real labour of love, and it’s amazing to see this jewel in the Dee Valley’s crown brought back to its former glory.”

He continued: “I’ve been in Corwen for a number of things recently, including meeting some of the locals hoping to buy the historic Owain Glyndwr Hotel and turn into one of the largest community pubs in the country. The OG is Grade Two-listed and dates back to the 14th century. It also staged the first public Eisteddfod in 1789. There’s so much history there.”

A consortium of local people has now formed the Corwen Partnership to raise £500,000 from a share issue – launched on St David’s Day – to purchase the iconic pub.

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Mr Skates visited several other businesses and attractions to mark Wales Tourism Week (May 15-21), including Chirk Castle – one of the two National Trust sites in his constituency – and the nearby Lady Margaret's Park Club Campsite. During First Minister’s Questions, the Clwyd South MS also highlighted the importance of the tourism industry to the region.

He said: “The constituency is also home to Bangor-on-Dee Racecourse, which I visited ahead of the family race day on Saturday (May 20) and is a major local attraction. It was an excellent opportunity to meet the new general manager Paddy Chesters and chief executive Louise Stewart and hear about their plans to further improve the racecourse’s offering.”