01 September 2023 , 08:49
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Hollywood A-listers Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynold have given North Wales a £1 billion boost, according to a tourism boss.
Jim Jones, the chief executive of North Wales Tourism, has claimed that the global publicity generated by the Wrexham AFC co-owners has put the whole region on the map like never before. The film stars bought the club in 2020 and have helped raise its profile massively, partly through a Disney+ series.
“It’s impossible to accurately calculate the precise value of the profile created by their special brand of magic, but the Rob and Ryan factor would undoubtedly be worth more than £1 billion if you had to pay for the equivalent coverage in advertising," Mr Jones said.
The tourism chief was speaking ahead of the annual Go North Wales Tourism Awards at Venue Cymru in Llandudno on Thursday, November 23. He went on to explain the impact that the duo's involvement had had on the area.
The duo bough the club back in 2020 (Getty Images)“We need to capitalise on the fairy tale success of Wrexham football club and the fantastic job Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds are doing, not only in reviving the club and taking it back to the promised land but the global headlines they are getting in the process," Jim continued.
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“When it comes to marketing, Rob and Ryan are absolute geniuses. It’s brilliant for the city of Wrexham but the whole of North Wales is benefiting from the golden glow of the priceless publicity generated by their brilliant documentary series, Welcome to Wrexham.
“They’ve raised our profile, especially in north America and we’re already seeing an influx of tourists as a result and they’re not just going to Wrexham, they’re also exploring the rest of North Wales. People used to say that Chester was the gateway to North Wales but Wrexham is the new gateway to North Wales now.
“We’ve got people ringing us up to book tours and they want executive tickets to watch Wrexham and while they’re here they also want to do other things to make the most of their visit. Once people come here they are enchanted because we have so much to offer.
“We have spectacular scenery, fantastic hospitality and amazing attractions in abundance. After a particularly tough time in tourism and hospitality, Rob and Ryan are providing a ray of sunshine.”
Earlier this year some politicians in the Welsh Senedd argued that more investment had to be made into the hotel sector in North Wales to accommodate the growing numbers of far-flung fans coming to support the team.
Dwyfor Meirionnydd Plaid MS, Mabon ap Gwynfor, said: “We do have to see investment at that level,” he told a Plenary meeting. I don’t know if people are aware, but thousands of people came to the Wrexham area to see the game recently, and because of the lack of serviced accommodation, (they) had to stay Liverpool and Manchester, because of the shortage here in Wales.”
The Daily Post reported that Sam Rowlands, Conservative MS for North Wales, said in the same debate in May: “Imagine a group of. American tourists. They’ve perhaps watched the Wrexham AFC documentary and decided to visit north-east Wales to see what all the fuss is about. They’ve had a pint at the Turf pub and they move across the rest of Wales. The options are endless.
“This experience is undoubtedly special and it’s something that everyone here should value and support as much as possible. But what’s disappointing is the Welsh Government’s policies towards the tourism sector show that this support isn’t at the heart of their thinking.”
A big change at the club itself will be the stadium. The Racecourse Ground will definitely look different. Bringing the ground back into the club’s ownership was one of Rob and Ryan’s main goals when they took over.
The duo completed the purchase from Wrexham Glyndwr University in June last year and work to build a new 5,500-capacity stand at the Kop end of the stadium is due to begin very soon. It was made possible after the local authority recently approved nearly £18m in funding towards the project.
Wrexham boss details scale of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney's involvement