Croeso nôl! (Welcome back)! Now, I won't lie to you but, Gavin and Stacey is one of my favourite programmes on the planet. I discovered it before I went to university outside of Wales, and I remember thinking, "this is only funny to me because I'm Welsh". I couldn't have been further from the truth.
Figure 1: The Cast of Gavin and Stacey. BBC. n.d.
I arrived at Leeds University and described my hometown as Cardiff, even though I was 30 mins away, and was shocked when people asked if I lived near Barry. I told them that I went to school there and was met with respect and admiration. I had no idea it was such a 'flex' to have been schooled in a random Welsh town. Even today, when I meet people, they find it "so cool" that I'm from near Barry. My English friends all want to visit me so that I can take them to Barry Island - a place where we all walk our dogs on the weekend. But it has become so much more than that thanks to the legendary programme written by Ruth Jones and James Corden. It is no longer just a tourist site, but a 'Contents tourism' site and the success of Gavin and Stacey has reportedly boosted tourism to the area.
What is 'Contents Tourism'?
The words were first used by the Japanese Government as a part of their Cultural Diplomacy using soft power on the global stage, through uses of Anime to assert cultural dominance abroad (. 'Contents Tourism' is a type of tourism which involves travelling to a destination where a type of media, be a TV programme, a film, a book was produced or set in, which means that visiting Marco’s Cafe down Barry Island because Stacey worked there is an act of ‘Contents Tourism’.
History of Barry Island and Tourism
I think it's important now to explore what the largest town in Wales was like before the show graced our screens in 2007. The Peninsula was originally isolated to the town of Barry until the Industrial Revolution which had Barry Docks created which then bridged the gap between the Island and the actual town of Barry.
Figure 2: The Barry Island Resort, July 6 1994. Image by The Western Mail Archive
Until it was demolished in 1997, Barry Island was known as 'The Barry Island Resort' as a Butlins holiday camp. The Pleasure Park, which might remind you of another British seaside town, Blackpool, still remains today. With the introduction of cheap flights abroad and all-inclusive packages in the Mediterranean, holidaying in the UK become less popular since the 1970s (Skinner, 2016, p.251) and this impacted many seaside towns in the UK, including Barry Island. Despite this decline, "seaside towns remain the least understood of Britain's "problem" areas" (Rickey and Houghton, 2009, p.54). There is a sense of abandonment when visiting these seaside towns, especially during the dark days of winter, a sense that this once was a place filled with holidaymakers enjoying ice cream and enjoying the rides on the funfair which are hardly touched now. Skinner comments that "Barry's decline in popularity as a domestic holiday resort had been due to its 'poor image and dilapidated environment [and] reputation for violence and drunkenness in the early 1980s" (Skinner, 2016, p.251)
I'd also like to draw a comparison between the Isle of Barry with another South Wales, ex-holiday resort town called Porthcawl. The last time I visited Porthcawl beach it was a bit depressing I'll admit. Kiosks abandoned, beach huts abandoned. You could clearly see the life that was once there, and it's sad that it has been left derelict despite its beautiful coastal setting. In the 23 years that I've lived in South Wales, I've not seen Porthcawl 'bounce back'. I guess the difference between it and Barry Island is that one hasn't been used as a filming set for a BBC comedy production, whilst the other has.
Why am I so convinced of this?
Yes, I am proposing that Gavin and Stacey has changed the game for Barry Island's tourism. I'm certainly not the only one. Even the Vale of Glamorgan Council, in their new Tourism strategy approach in 2010 stated:
“We recognise the marketing potential that Gavin and Stacey has given Barry Island and seek to work with the private sector to encourage more themed events. The series has put Barry Island and Barry firmly on the national map and we must take full advantage of this unique opportunity.” (Vale of Glamorgan Council, 2010)
In an article titled "We must make the most of Gavin & Stacey", local businesses in Barry stated that they had noticed a "surge in visitors" after the third series of the sitcom was broadcast" (Harris, 2010). Even the owner of the iconic Marco's Cafe (Marco Zeraschi) said the reaction to the series was "bonkers" and that the Island has "been absolutely manic and that's due to Gavin and Stacey" (Zeraschi, 2010 quoted in Harris, 2010).
It has thus been acknowledged that the show has increased visitors to the Island, proving how effective Contents Tourism can be, evidenced in the quote below from then Plaid Cymru candidate Dr Ian Johnson:
"Featuring in such a hit show is the sort of advertisement that money can't buy, but we must make sure that the opportunities offered to promote Barry aren't wasted" (Johnson, 2010)
The owner of the house used as Stacey's home in Barry has stated that she has had "349 people coming to [her] my house since the Christmas special last year" (Kenyon, 2010 quoted in Skinner, 2016), this increased to 8,700 by July 2012 (Skinner, 2016). On the other hand, the homeowner of the house used as the Billericay home is "fed up with sightseers knocking on our door and asking us if they can have a look round ... It's an invasion of [her] privacy" and is "embarrassed about the effect it has had on [her] neighbours" (Julia, 2016 cited in Skinner, 2016).
Conclusion
The examples of what Gavin & Stacey contents tourists do at Barry Island are listed below also. I hope that I have shown the programme’s impact on tourism in my writing, and perhaps you as readers can reflect on some Contents Tourism that you may or may not have done yourselves.
Examples of Gavin & Stacey Contents Tourism;
The Official Gavin and Stacey Tour - https://britmovietours.com/bookings/gavin-and-stacey-tour/
Daves Coaches Official tour - https://www.coachinnovations.co.uk/gavin-and-stacey-tours
Eating at Marco's Cafe -shop.https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g552070-d10620319-Reviews-Marco_s_Cafe-Barry_Vale_of_Glamorgan_South_Wales_Wales.html
Bibliography
Harris, S. 2010. 'Barry Island Traders: We must make the most of Gavin & Stacey'. [Online] Barry and District News 9 January. Available at: https://www.barryanddistrictnews.co.uk/news/4837541.barry-island-traders-we-must-make-the-most-of-gavin-stacey/ [Accessed: 11 November 2021].
Seaton, P. A. et al. 2017. Contents tourism in Japan: pilgrimages to ‘sacred sites’ of popular culture, Contents tourism in Japan: pilgrimages to ‘sacred sites’ of popular culture. Amherst, New York: Cambria Press. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/1755182X.2019.1585512 [Accessed 8 January 2022].
Skinner, H. 2016. 'What’s Occurring? Barry since Gavin & Stacey. International Journal of Tourism Research, 18(3), 251–259. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1002/jtr.2001 [Accessed 8 January 2022].
Vale of Glamorgan. 2010. Draft tourism strategy 2010-1015.
Wales Online. 2010a. 'Gavin and Stacey a New Year's Day Hit'. [Online]. Wales Online 4 January. Available at: https://www.walesonline.co.uk/lifestyle/showbiz/gavin-stacey-new-years-day-1938153 [Accessed: 11 November 2021].
Wales Online. 2010b. 'Gavin & Stacey in Tourism Plans'. [Online]. Wales Online 21 July. Available at: https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/gavin--stacey-tourism-plans-1909010 [Accessed: 11 November 2021].
Visual Bibliography
Wales Online. 2020. The iconic outdoor swimming pool and stage at Barry Island Holiday Resort, pictured on July 6, 1994. [Image]. Available at: https://www.walesonline.co.uk/lifestyle/nostalgia/days-thousands-went-barry-island-18789568 [Accessed 7 January 2022]
BBC. 2008. The Gavin & Stacey Cast. [Image]. Available at:
https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/gavin--stacey-cast-now-24675957 [Accessed 7 January 2022]
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