A new era for tourism and hospitality in North Wales has been marked with the official launch of ‘Academi Croeso’, a pioneering partnership led by Grŵp Llandrillo Menai and supported by Ambition North Wales through the North Wales Growth Deal.
The Academi Croeso project, sets out to future-proof the region’s tourism and hospitality sector via a public-private network focused on collaboration, skills and product development.
Held at Theatr Clwyd in Mold on Thursday 13 November, the launch event brought together leading employers, educators, Welsh and UK Government representatives, and community partners to celebrate the new identity and shared vision behind ‘Academi Croeso’, formerly known as the Tourism Talent Network.
Speakers included Anna McMorrin MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Wales Office; Gwenllian Roberts, Executive Director of Commercial Development at Grŵp Llandrillo Menai; and Cllr Mark Pritchard, Chair of Ambition North Wales.
Through an engaging programme of speeches, panel discussions, and a visual unveiling of the new brand, attendees heard how Academi Croeso will help develop a skilled, bilingual, and sustainable workforce for the region’s visitor economy.
Gwenllian Roberts, Executive Director of Commercial Development at Grŵp Llandrillo Menai, said:
“Academi Croeso is about more than skills – it’s about pride, place and partnership. By connecting education and industry, we are ensuring North Wales remains a world-class destination to visit, to work, and to live in.”
Cllr Mark Pritchard, Chair, Ambition North Wales and Leader, Wrexham County Borough Council, said:
“This Academi Croeso project aims to be transformational for the tourism and hospitality sector in our region - creating 68 jobs, 250 apprenticeships and training for 750 people. This is precisely the type of growth and opportunity the North Wales Growth Deal was designed to create, and I'm delighted our investment is supporting such impactful outcomes.”
Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales Ken Skates has said:
“This is an exciting development for tourism and hospitality in North Wales. It delivers career and training opportunities, while also supporting these industries which are so important to the region by providing a skilled and dedicated workforce.”
Wales Office Minister Anna McMorrin, said:
“Academi Croeso is a brilliant project which supports job creation and economic growth in the tourism sector, which is so vital to the North Wales economy.
“I am proud that the UK Government’s investment, via the North Wales Growth Deal, will enable local people to gain skills in hospitality which will lead to good jobs. The training they receive will ensure that visitors to this beautiful part of Wales have a great experience and spread the message about all that North Wales has to offer tourists.”
The £19m project, which includes a £4.43m North Wales Growth Deal investment, aims to tackle long-standing challenges in recruitment and skills within the tourism and hospitality sectors by establishing a unique ‘Hub and Spoke’ network. This will link Grŵp Llandrillo Menai’s Rhos-on-Sea campus with leading industry partners, including Zip World, Portmeirion, Theatr Clwyd, Snowdonia Hospitality & Leisure, and the National Trust.
Together, the partners will deliver training, innovation and professional development opportunities aligned directly to employer needs, ensuring local people have the skills, confidence and inspiration to thrive in tourism and hospitality careers.
The launch marks a major milestone in the region’s journey to position North Wales as a model of sustainable tourism and hospitality excellence.