Food and tourism businesses in Aberystwyth and the Dyfi valley are using Wales Tourism Week – May 12-20 – to explore how to make more of the Dyfi Biosphere area’s international UNESCO status.

The Biosphere’s destination partnership will use its annual meeting on May 15 to advise tourism businesses about attracting two key groups of people – 27-40 year olds from nearby English cities and Welsh speakers of any age.

Then, on May 17, the newly formed food and drink cluster in the Dyfi Biosphere will plan how to expand its activities so as to include local producers and suppliers as well as cafes and restaurants.

The open meeting on May 15 is being organised by the Dyfi Biosphere Tourism Association and will start at 2.30pm in the Brigands Inn, Mallwyd. Owner Kevin Geyton will explain how his special breakfast with half the fat and calories of a traditional breakfast won at the National Breakfast Awards in London earlier this year.

Then Sioned Pugh, the local Welsh for Business support officer, will explain what help is available to increase the use of Welsh in businesses and Val Hawkins, chief executive of MWT Cymru, will explain how businesses can be part of ‘Real Mid Wales’.

This fresh marketing campaign focused on social media is aimed specifically at the 20 million UK people in the 27 to 40 years age group who use the latest technology.

Members of the Dyfi Biosphere food & drink cluster work together to deliver and promote a good food destination, to promote and sustain the Dyfi Biosphere and to increase the scope of local production.

The meeting on May 17, which starts at 2.30pm in Y Plas, Machynlleth, will confirm the guidelines for participation. Activities under consideration include creating a directory of local suppliers, a gift voucher scheme, a Food & Drink Trail, and a Showcase event.

Local development trust ecodyfi is co-ordinating this work, which is supported by the Rural Development Programme LEADER Local Action Groups for Ceredigion, Powys and Gwynedd.

This project has received funding through the Welsh Government Rural Communities – Rural Development Programme 2014-2020, which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Welsh Government.

Andy Rowland, of ecodyfi, is keen to hear from anyone in the local food supply chain. “Many local cafes and restaurants would like to use more local produce, and nowadays many visitors expect this,” he said. “Let’s see what we can do together”.

He can be contacted via the Dyfi Biosphere on Tel: 01654 703965, through www.dyfibiosphere.wales or [email protected].

Wales Tourism Week 2018 is co-ordinated by the Wales Tourism Alliance and this year’s theme is ‘Collaborating to Compete’.