A Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal Tourism Hub is one of 10 tourism projects which could share in £27.7m of European funding.

Minister for Economy, Science and Transport, Edwina Hart, said the EU funding package for tourism in Wales has a potential total value £85m - the single biggest EU investment made in the sector.

Tourism Attractor Destinations, backed with £27.7m from the European Regional Development Fund, aims to create 10 ‘must visit’ destinations to drive interest in Wales as a holiday destination for new and repeat visitors and will play a part in growing the tourism sector in Wales by 10% by 2020.

The 10 regionally prioritised projects will now move forward to the next stage for individual assessment and agreement before building works can begin.

The minister said: “This announcement brings us one step closer to creating some iconic destinations for Wales. Our tourism strategy for Wales looks at the need to develop more reputation changing products for Wales. By focusing efforts and investment on key projects in each region we can have a real impact on Wales’ profile in this globally competitive market.

"The aim is for these destinations to develop as attractors and give compelling reasons for people to visit Wales or stay in Wales for a holiday. By attracting visitors to these key sites the surrounding area will also benefit from further business investment and deliver key outcomes in terms of employment and regeneration.

“Tourism is one of our key sectors and generates £8.7 billion for the Welsh economy and employs 15% of the workforce. The industry is in very good shape, we’ve seen successive annual increases in visitor volumes and expenditure, both in the GB and international markets.

"There is absolutely no room for complacency and our mission is to remain competitive in a very rapidly changing global market-place. Projects such as these will ensure that we can continue to compete on the world stage.”