From Tinplate to Tourism
From Tinplate to Tourism
Historically a mining and tinplate town, Llanelli is the largest town in Carmarthenshire with a population of 46,358, and, with its two major industries now gone, it is ripe for discovery by more tourists on Wales holiday. Since the staple industries fell into almost terminal decline in the 1970s, Llanelli has concentrated on the development of an economy based increasingly on tourism, and it has some splendid assets to attract the visitor.
The Corus Works and the Dyfed Steels manufacturing companies on the outskirts of the town at Trostre still provide employment for local people, mainly servicing the automotive industry, but the older industries which gave the town its nick-name of Tinopolis' have gone. Of course, the town has another nickname well-known to visitors on holiday in Wales - Sospan' after its tinplate production of the materials to produce kitchen utensils, and the comic song "Sospan Fach" (Little Saucepan) remains almost an anthem, sung at rugby matches and even in concerts.
The scars of the ugly opencast mine workings north of the town at Carway and the modern deep mine at Cynheidre have thankfully disappeared, their sites returned to nature. And on the banks of the Loughor Estuary a mile or so to the east, the visitor on holiday in Wales can enjoy nature at its best at The National Wetland Centre Wales, one of nine wetland nature reserves managed by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust where visitors can watch from purpose built hides the rich variety of wildfowl and waders which flock to the area.
On the opposite side of the town is another popular tourist attraction, the Millennium Coastal Park Discovery Centre and there is an ultra-modern Technium Performance Engineering Centre at Llanelli Gate, developed as a business incubator for companies in the automotive, motor sport and aerospace sectors. Many visitors on holiday in Wales will know of the Pembrey circuit where top F1 racers practice their lap techniques, while at Ffoslas five miles to the north west, there is a fine brand-new horse racing track.
For the keen sportsman there is Parc y Scarlets, opened in 2008 to replace Stradey where the Llanelli Scarlets played for more than 130 years, and there is also a soccer side and Rugby League side called The Llanelli Sharks.
The sportsman on holiday in Wales is indeed spoiled for choice as there are three excellent golf courses in the area, including the championship course at Machynys.
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