FIRE-BREATHING friends have attracted thousands of visitors to Gwynedd, according to the Welsh Government.

Recently released figures show that tourism in Wales enjoyed an extremely busy summer with reports of increases in visitors compared to last year.

Record-breaking visitor figures were recorded at Cadw sites as well as the best ever figures being achieved for Amgueddfa Cymru sites. Nearly 15,000 visitors flocked to Harlech Castle over the summer months, with the figure boosted by the appearance of Dwynwen the Dragon and her brood, Dylan and Cariad.

As a whole, the dragons’ summer presence helped generate a 15 per cent increase in family visitors across Wales versus July and August last year – from 87,333 in 2016 to 101,051 in 2017.

The dragon campaign also saw the launch of Little Dragons – an augmented reality smartphone game which allows visitors to ‘snap’ virtual dragons at seven castles across Wales and to date, has been played by nearly 18,000 users.

Economy Secretary, Ken Skates, said: “It’s extremely encouraging that these figures show that 2017 is really proving to be another successful year for tourism in Wales. We’ve seen two very successful years and we’re looking to sustain that growth.

“Although there is much uncertainty, it’s evident that the weaker pound has meant that more people are opting to holiday at home this year. I’m delighted that the industry is looking forward to the rest of the year with confidence.

“The figures for Cadw and Amgueddfa Cymru, also show that innovative ideas such as the touring dragons can capture the imagination and spark a renewed interest in Welsh heritage – which has been fantastic to see during Wales’ Year of Legends.”