Who's Who at MWT Cymru
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Zoe Hawkins - Chief Executive, MWT Cymru
Zoe has grown up with tourism and was raised in a family run B&B. Working with MWT from the days of packing brochures to working on the 'brilliant breaks' call centre (if anyone can remember that far back!). After 7 years working in sales roles in Cardiff she then spent 2 years travelling to Australia where she has done every hotel role from kitchen-hand to housekeeper, cook to restaurant manager. She now runs her own 2 unit serviced apartment business with her partner and one small person in Newtown. Zoe joined MWT full time in 2010 and has gained her qualifications in project management, business, account management and ICT through the Open University. She became CEO in April 2024. |
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Val Hawkins, MBE
Val Hawkins has over 40 years in Welsh tourism, and was recently honored with an MBE for her significant contributions to tourism and the economy in Wales. She's a leading figure, representing Welsh tourism nationally and regionally, and is spearheading innovative approaches to enhance the tourist experience and boost the economy. Her MBE acknowledges her enduring commitment and leadership in the field. Although Val is originally from Scotland, her roots within the Welsh tourism sector run deep. From running her own B&B in Newtown, Powys for over 10 years, she started with MWT as Membership Manager in 1999 and was appointed MWT Chief Executive in 2006. Val retired as CEO in April 2024, but continues to work for MWT 2 days per week on a consultancy basis. |
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Claire Owen, CMktr - Membership & Marketing Manager
Claire has a Professional Diploma in Marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing and is a Chartered Marketer - the mark of an up-to-date, experienced and qualified marketing professional. After graduating with a First Class Honours Degree in Advertising, Media & Design Management, Claire began her career in tourism marketing at community regeneration company LLANI Ltd in Llanidloes, implementing a number of joint marketing initiatives. Following time spent travelling the world she then worked as Senior Marketing Officer at Shropshire Tourism and their 2 subsidiary companies, Marketing Shropshire and Direct Tourism Services, for over 6 and a half years. Claire joined MWT Cymru in 2016 and works part-time to support the team and our member businesses with all aspects relating to membership and marketing. |
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Simon Demaine, Digital Marketing Executive
Simon joined the MWT team in July 2024 to focus on our ongoing digital development. After leaving Warwickshire College with a HND in Visual Communication, Simon developed his career with different businesses and organisations, including as Magazine Production Assistant for the British Independent Retailer Association. He also worked freelance as a Designer for agencies with clients including the NHS, TGI Fridays, Unipart, Adobe and Phillips. Simon is passionate about Mid Wales and regularly visited Tywyn for family caravan holidays as a child and loved the area, walking mountain trails, visiting the beach and riding the Great little trains of Wales. He later returned on holiday with his wife and together they ran a lakeside Bed and Breakfast in Talyllyn between 2017 and 2019. |
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Guy Edwards, Project Manager
Guy joined the MWT Cymru team in Oct 2023 on a fixed term contract to manage and lead the MWT SPF Reward & Loyalty project. After completing his masters degree in management and business at Cranfield University, Guy embarked on a career in the travel, technology and tourism sector working for international travel businesses such as Travelport, Uniglobe and Kognitiv and also smaller travel companies such as Just Resorts and Welsh tour operator Cambria DMC & Tours. He has managed various sales, product and marketing teams and technology projects in his career and has a wide range of business development experience. |
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Jo Anna Lewis, Business Engagement Officer
Jo began her career in hospitality and tourism after finishing at Warwick University in 2014, having studied Ancient History and Classical Archaeology. Jo has a true love of the hospitality and events industries, being involved in organising events across many sectors both professionally and at a grassroots level and has worked in hospitality as a manager for many years, covering all aspects of front and back of house. She has enjoyed working with both local communities in Mid Wales and international brands such as Harley Davidson during her career so far and spent 3 years as a wedding coordinator, something she still dabbles in from time to time. She has completed courses in social media marketing and is also a fully trained masseuse. Jo remains committed to working towards furthering the tourism, events & arts industries in Mid Wales and its community led culture of music and storytelling, joining MWT in the autumn of 2023. |
Martin Davies - Accounts
Martin joined the MWT team in June 2014 on a part time basis to take care of all the accounting matters. Martin is a qualified accountant, having studied and trained in Manchester and Bolton in the 1980's. After qualifying as an accountant, Martin spent nearly three years working in Bermuda before returning home to Aberystwyth in 1991. Since then Martin has worked with a varied client base in the local area. |
Davina Roberts - Membership & Admin Support
Davina joined MWT on the 'brilliant breaks' call centre in 1999. She has had many different roles over the years including managing events and running our Helpdesk. Davina also provides full administration support for membership. She is a fluent Welsh speaker and manages the Visit Wales welsh helpdesk for enquiries about listings on VisitWales.com. |
Duncan Foulkes - Press & PR
Duncan has been MWT Cymru's Press and PR officer for many years. A former newspaper journalist for 24 years, Duncan moved into PR in 1999 after editing the County Times & Express & Gazette newspapers – the main weekly titles in Mid Wales. His contacts extend from local newspapers in Wales to the national print and broadcast media, trade publications and digital media. |
Partnership Working
For larger pieces of work we have a network of tried and tested freelance designers, specialist consultants and project managers to supplement our team. |
MWT Cymru Directors
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Rowland Rees-Evans DL - Chairman, MWT Cymru
Rowland has been involved in his family business since the early 1980's. Primarily the business was involved in Agriculture and began diversifying into the Tourism industry in the mid 1960's and it was in 1991 that the family business was totally given over to tourism. Penrhos Park is situated in Llanrhystud and includes a Holiday Park, Golf Complex and Hotel. The business employs over 30 people. From 2004 to 2022 Rowland was a County Councillor on Ceredigion County Council. In 2022 he became High Sheriff of Dyfed and has recently been made a Deputy Lieutenant of Dyfed. Rowland is married to Sian and they have two grown up children, Gwenllian and Ioan. |
Dylan Roberts
Dylan is a Director and co owner of Salop Leisure, a dealership retailing Tourers, Motor Homes, Holiday Homes (Statics), Glamping units, and Twin Unit Lodges supplying over 150 Parks in Mid Wales. He is also a Director of Salop Caravan Sites who operate 10 Holiday Parks, 9 of which are located in Mid Wales. Dylan has 40 years experience in the Holiday Caravan industry and is a Director on the main British Holiday & Home Park Association (BH&HPA) Board representing Mid Wales, a member of the Mid Wales Regional Tourism Forum and the Caravan & Camping Forum For Wales (CCFW). He believes passionately that Mid Wales and indeed Wales has so much to offer Visitors and Locals and is a key Tourism, Recreational and Lifestyle destination which has and continues to improve the lives of so many. Dylan joined Salop in 1990 and continues to live in Bow Street near Aberystwyth where he and his wife Glesni raised their family. In his spare time he loves road cycling, walking and supporting local football and also enjoys following Liverpool FC and Wales!
Dylan is a Director and co owner of Salop Leisure, a dealership retailing Tourers, Motor Homes, Holiday Homes (Statics), Glamping units, and Twin Unit Lodges supplying over 150 Parks in Mid Wales. He is also a Director of Salop Caravan Sites who operate 10 Holiday Parks, 9 of which are located in Mid Wales. Dylan has 40 years experience in the Holiday Caravan industry and is a Director on the main British Holiday & Home Park Association (BH&HPA) Board representing Mid Wales, a member of the Mid Wales Regional Tourism Forum and the Caravan & Camping Forum For Wales (CCFW). He believes passionately that Mid Wales and indeed Wales has so much to offer Visitors and Locals and is a key Tourism, Recreational and Lifestyle destination which has and continues to improve the lives of so many. Dylan joined Salop in 1990 and continues to live in Bow Street near Aberystwyth where he and his wife Glesni raised their family. In his spare time he loves road cycling, walking and supporting local football and also enjoys following Liverpool FC and Wales!
Who does what in Wales?
Each organisation provides different services to the industry but collectively we all have the same goal - to make tourism in Wales a success.
MWT is a not-for-profit social enterprise, owned and run by the tourism business community
Wales Tourism Alliance
MWT is a not-for-profit social enterprise, owned and run by the tourism business community
- We provide membership and marketing services - please take a few minutes to explore this website for information about our activities.
- MWT provides independent support & advice – when you join MWT you’re not just joining a website. By helping businesses individually, we’re helping the industry overall.
- Whatever the query, as long as it's tourism related, we're pretty confident we can help… and if we can’t, we probably know who can.
- Visit Wales is a department within Welsh Government responsible for raising awareness of Wales as a great place to visit.
- Working with Visit Wales
- All graded businesses are entitled to a free basic entry on the Visit Wales website - find out more here.
- The Quality Assurance (QA) team in Visit Wales manage all star grading & VAQAS accreditations for businesses. If you have a question about grading find out more here, or call 0845 010 8020.
Wales Tourism Alliance
- WTA member organisations consist of regional and national tourism organisations that work collectively to raise common issues that affect the tourism business community with politicians and government.
- MWT Cymru is a regional member of WTA.