Wrexham match with Whitecaps expands Wales’ tourism profile

The power of celebrity and sports was on display for over 37,000 soccer fans who came to Vancouver’s BC Place Stadium to take in a “friendly” match between the Vancouver Whitecaps and Wrexham AFC of Wales last Saturday.

Wrexham part-owner/A-list actor Ryan Reynolds was in the house for the game, sparking a huge roar of applause when he showed up on stadium video screens to wave at fans. And in the end, it was his team that triumphed over the Whitecaps with a 4-1 score.

Welcome to Wales

But the bottom line may be that Wales as a whole – in particular tourism to Wales – was the real winner, no matter who won the match. The game gave an extra shot of promotional energy to the general awareness of Wales that has grown with the popular Netflix program “Welcome to Wrexham.”

It documents events at the football club (the oldest in Wales), as told through Reynolds and co-owner Rob McElhenney, and has won numerous awards after airing for three years since 2022.

“More people are coming to visit Wales and are learning that it is one of the most beautiful places in the UK,” said Susannah Goshko, British High Commissioner to Canada. She was in attendance at the game, along with other dignitaries, Wales/UK tourism reps and key contacts from across the finance, investment and transportation sectors.

Top tourist attractions in Wales

Some of the key tourism features of the country include:

• The choice of over 600 historic castles to visit, including four with UNESCO World Heritage status.
• The opportunity to discover 32,998 km of walking paths, including three National Trails and the Wales Coast Path.
• The National Museum Cardiff, which houses the best collection of impressionist paintings outside Paris – and is free to visit. There are six other National Museums of Wales as well as over 90 accredited museums and galleries around Wales to explore.
• Cardiff, the capital city of Wales, is a compact city with plenty to see, including Cardiff Castle, the National Museum Cardiff, the Principality Stadium (home of Welsh rugby) and the waterside developments in Cardiff Bay.