A choir of young men from Meirionnydd will travel to the Netherlands this Saturday, 18 January, as part of a marketing campaign to raise awareness of the Welsh language and attract overseas visitors out of season to Wales.

Eryrod Meirion is taking part in the trip, which is part of a scheme led by Gwynedd Council on behalf of Visit Wales to promote ’Ffordd Cymru’, a series of three routes that represent the best of Wales - the visitor experience we offer, our hospitality and attractions.

The three routes – The north Wales way, The Cambrian Way and The Coastal Way that extend across Wales incorporate everything that makes Wales unique and exceptional.

As part of the tour, the choir will represent Wales at the Vakantiebeurs International Festival Fair in Utrecht city raising awareness of Wales, the Welsh culture and the Welsh language in the Netherlands.

The 18-member choir will perform at the festival as well as releasing a ’flash mob’ video this Saturday afternoon.

Gareth Thomas, Gwynedd Council’s Cabinet member for economic and community development, said: “The aim of this marketing campaign is to raise awareness of Wales in international markets and highlight the variety of attractions that can be enjoyed in locations such as Gwynedd and Wales throughout the year, so that visitors stay longer and spend more.

“Working with Côr Eryrod Meirion is an exciting opportunity for us to show that Wales is unique and that we are promoting our country as a major destination at an international festival.

“One of the main challenges in marketing Wales is to present our language and culture to the rest of the world in a simple, modern and attractive way. It’s time to celebrate these features on a local, national and international stage, and being able to work with the Côr Eryrod Meirion allows us to do this. ”

A promotional video/’Flash Mob’ will be shown on the Visit Snowdonia social account https://www.facebook.com/visitingsnowdonia/ on Saturday.

Gwynedd Council is leading on the ’Road Wales’ Regional Tourism Engagement project on behalf of the Welsh Government, Anglesey Council, Conwy Council, Flintshire County Council, Denbighshire County Council, Wrexham Council, Ceredigion Council and Pembrokeshire County Council.

This project has received funding through the Regional Tourism Engagement Fund and is supported by the Rural Development Program 2014-2020 - Welsh Government Rural Communities funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and Welsh Government. The Fund aims to improve visitor experiences and create stronger destinations by working together.