Our Reports

Our reports are about the impact of the path on health and wellbeing of the people who use the path. They also examine the impact of the path on the tourism economy and give useful visitor insights.

Welsh government contributes about £1.4 million towards the path. This pays for maintenance, development and marketing of the path each year. Natural Resources Wales commissioned all the reports and surveys.

Health impact

Economic assessment of the Health Benefits of walking on the Wales Coast Path, 2014 (PDF, 661KB): An assessment of the health benefits of walking the path using the World Health Organisation’s Health Economic Tool (HEAT)

Economic impact

Evaluating the benefits to business of the Wales Coast Path, 2013 (PDF, 661KB): The impact of European funding on areas of the path as part of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Convergence Programme.

Visitor surveys

These surveys analyse who uses the path, their characteristics and experiences. Their motivations and their information sources are also examined. We make comparisons with previous survey findings where possible.

Wales Coast Path Visitor Survey 2015 (PDF, 1.25KB): The report also examines the economic impact of coastal walking in Wales 2014.

Wales Coast Path Visitor Survey 2019-2021 (PDF, 1,061KB): The report includes the impact of Covid-19 on the likelihood of using the path. 

European Funding

The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) contributed £4 million towards the path from 2007-2013.

Wales Coast Path End of Project Report 2007-2013 (PDF, 1,039KB) An analysis of the path’s achievements against targets set by ERDF fund.

The Wales Coast Path: Impacts of Capital Spending 2007 to 2013 (PDF, 494KB) An estimate of the output and employment benefits gained from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Convergence Programme.