Respect call at Bannau Brycheiniog National Park

A balance needs to be struck between the most “Instagrammable” locations in Wales and protecting the environment, according to bosses at a national park.

An influx of people using social media at Bannau Brycheiniog National Park’s top destinations, including Pen y Fan and the area known as Waterfall Country, has seen the authority put on extra buses and guides this summer.

About four million people visit the park – also known as the Brecon Beacons – every year.

The authority says it does not want to deter tourists but is encouraging people to visit outside peak times and use buses, and to research and respect the area.

Buses run from Brecon and Merthyr Tydfil to Pen y Fan – the highest mountain in the southern half of Wales – in a bid to cut emissions and increase spending in the towns, while a multimillion pound investment is planned at the waterfalls walk.

Helen Roderick, the park sustainable development officer, said: “It’s about balance, we want people to come and visit the national park but to think about when they come, and can they travel by bus, and can they make sure they benefit the local economy by using our shops, pubs and local restaurants.”

This year the park joined Maui in Hawaii and Singapore as it was named in the New York Times best places to visit in 2024.

“We want to spread the effect of the visitors,” said Ms Roderick.

“Maybe visit in September and October or early in the morning or on a weekday if you’re visiting in August.

“Brecon town has the facility to welcome more visitors, we have lots of independent shops, but we want visitors to catch the bus to places like Pen y Fan.”

“For every visitor that goes by bus rather than car, it will reduce emissions which affects the flora and fauna and will reduce congestion in the towns.”

Waterfall Country in Ystradfellte, Powys, is extremely popular on social media with TikTok videos and Instagram posts receiving thousands of likes.

It has boosted tourism in the area, but many visitors have arrived unprepared, and the park has employed extra staff to deal with this.

They will check if the visitors have the right clothing and shoes and explain it is a challenging 40-minute walk to the first waterfall.

A multimillion pound investment is also planned with new facilities and better infrastructure to cope with demand following funding from the UK government.

Carys Rees, who runs the This Girl Walks website and Instagram account and is also a member of the Central Beacons Mountain Rescue Team, said people seeing images on social media of the area must prepare before setting off.

“I’ve spent a lifetime hiking these hills,” she said.

“I’ve got photographs of myself on Pen y Fan from 10 years ago when I was the only person there, which is unheard of now.

“I do love that people are getting out and seeing the beauty of Wales, but I sometimes miss having it to myself. but the good outweighs the bad.

“I understand people’s concerns, but when people put out these beautiful photos of places you can visit, people see it online and think ‘gosh, wow, I’d love to visit these places and go there’.

“Aand would these people visit if they hadn’t seen those photos on social media? Most probably not.”

“For me it’s about capturing the landscape, but people have to be prepared.”

Lucie Kolarikova,19, and Katerina Mrázková, 21, and their dog, Gwaii, from the Czech Republic, wanted to reach the peak of Pen y Fan because of images they had seen on social media – but had to turn around because of the weather.

“We came to do a hike but the weather is so bad we’ve turned around after an hour, the weather is crazy, “ said Lucie.

Katerina said: “We didn’t really research it, we improvised but it didn’t work out.

“The reason we are here is because of Instagram and to take pictures. We hoped for beautiful weather and beautiful photos but nothing today – maybe next time.”

Helen Howarth, 44, who moved to Brecon after being diagnosed with breast cancer 15 years ago, said she sought comfort in the beauty of the park, which aided her recovery.

She has now established a retail business focusing on sustainable tourism and eco-friendly products with all profits going back into the local community.

“We have to share with visitors other places to explore, there’s 250 miles of National park to explore, we need to celebrate all we have on offer, it isn’t just about Pen Y Fan,” said Helen.

“It’s about the biodiversity, it’s about our dark skies, it’s about the amazing people and skilled artisans we have. “

“I think if visitors head to independent businesses, the owners will know where to go, they’ll know those hidden gems rather than just the places people see on social media.”

Helen added: “Now it’s about getting that message out to people and all working together to conserve what we have.”