{"id":7918,"date":"2021-06-19T08:34:31","date_gmt":"2021-06-19T07:34:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/?p=7918"},"modified":"2021-06-19T08:34:34","modified_gmt":"2021-06-19T07:34:34","slug":"snowdonia-tension-between-locals-and-tourists-reaches-a-boiling-point","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/snowdonia-tension-between-locals-and-tourists-reaches-a-boiling-point\/","title":{"rendered":"Snowdonia: Tension between locals and tourists reaches a boiling point"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Tension between locals and tourists visiting Snowdonia is at its highest after over a year of lockdown restrictions. But will the National Park be able to deal with the pressure of a seemingly restriction-free summer on the horizon?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The bendy, narrow road through Nant Peris and its rugged landscape leads you to the foot of Snowdon in Pen y Pass. Contouring along the hillside below Crib Goch, and above Llydaw Lake, it\u2019s no wonder that the Pyg Snowdon path is popular among visitors. But after the easing of lockdown restrictions in July, visitors reached Pen y Pass to see its car park full by 7 am and around 500 cars parked dangerously along the mountain road. For locals, this is a long-existing issue that adds to their already deeply pressured relationship with tourists of the national park.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Snowdonia National Park welcomes around 10 million visitors each year across its 823 sq miles of stunning mountain ranges, ancient woodlands, natural lakes and endless beaches. But the sudden easing of lockdown restrictions in July wreaked havoc in the park, according to a Snowdon Warden. He said that many even went as far as breaking restrictions to visit the park.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPen y Pass and Snowdon became the epicentre of Covid,\u201d according to Keith Ellis, who worked as a Snowdon Warden for two years until recently. \u201cYou could see it was busy, they all knew that Covid was highly infectious. But people just kept piling and piling in,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After months of being told to stay at home, the new restrictions meant that people were free to travel across Wales and through its borders. But with a rise in staycations due to Covid-19, Snowdonia became an even bigger holiday hotspot, adding to the tension between locals and tourists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As tourist season ramped up, the tension between locals and tourists worsened as long-existing issues were brought to light. From dangerous parking to littering, the worry of Covid-19 spreading and overcrowding, locals became anxious with some not leaving their houses at all, according to a local business owner. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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