THE world’s first inland surfing park, Adventure Parc Snowdonia, has been forced to shut its doors after just eight years.
Bosses at the park, situated on the edge of Snowdonia National Park, pointed the finger at the site’s wave machine which has been plagued with problems and breakdowns since it opened in 2015.
They said the machine had caused them the loss of the park’s reputation and cost them a small fortune.
Conwy Adventure Leisure pumped £7.7million into the surfing park eight years ago, while the Welsh government added another £4m.
Bosses warned some staff will be made redundant but did not disclose how many.
The company’s commercial director James Wood said: “We are extremely disheartened that we are having to let go of exceptional team members yet again.
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“Despite the success that we've enjoyed since our launch in 2015, the ground-breaking innovation our wave machine represented and the fun and adventure enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world – recent issues have been financially draining through downtime, repairs, and lost business.
“Even more concerning is the toll it continues to take on our reputation among our guests, employees, the surfing community, and other stakeholders who have been loyal advocates since the beginning.
“In the upcoming months, we will be re-evaluating our future plans for the Parc ahead of the 2024 season.”
The wave machine is said to have malfunctioned last August, according to the Daily Post, which caused the waves to be switched off for the remainder of the year.
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It then relaunched this spring only for it to break down once again.
The park’s closure was also announced on its Adventure Parc Snowdonia Community Facebook page, saying it had made the decision “with a heavy heart”.
'TRULY SORRY'
It said: “To all who've been part of this journey, we're truly sorry.
“We are bitterly disappointed that once again excellent employees are being made redundant.
“The sad reality is that despite the joy and adventure our waves brought to many as a world-first innovation, the machine has cost us a fortune in downtime, repairs and loss of business.
“More importantly it has cost us a loss of reputation with our employees, people we've worked closely with since the start of this journey in 2015.”
It continued: “For adventurers impacted by the closure, refunds are available.
“Vouchers for use at the Hilton Garden Inn Snowdonia and Wave Garden Spa, which remain open, can also be arranged. Please contact [email protected] to initiate this process.”
It added: “We'll be exploring options for an exciting new chapter from 2024 and beyond.
'INCREDIBLY TOUGH TIME'
“Thank you for your understanding during this difficult time. Your support, commitment, and dedication through what's been an incredibly tough time has been massively appreciated by the team.”
The attraction reopened in spring 2021 with a new 106-bedroom Hilton Garden Inn, along with an indoor adventure activity centre after the Welsh government had handed over a further £3.9m.
Weddings and bookings at the four-star Hilton Garden Inn were cancelled for three months in November 2022 when it was used to house asylum seekers.
Jim Jones, head of Tourism North Wales told the BBC in October 2022 it would be a disaster for the area if the park closed.
He told the corporation how “extremely important” it is in North Wales because “we built our brand as ‘adventure capital’ on the back of Adventure Parc Snowdonia”.
Jones said: “It's probably one of the biggest attractions in North Wales, the investment in that site has been millions.
“It's important not only for the rural areas of Conwy, but for the reputation of the whole of North Wales.”
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The attraction measures 985ft long and 360ft wide, roughly the size of six football pitches.
Its huge lagoon features the longest man-made surfable waves in the world, with the waves reaching a maximum height of 6ft.
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