Tenby has 'five star destination' potential (From Western Telegraph)

Tenby has 'five star destination' potential

Tenby's future as a holiday resort lies in its potential to become a five-star destination, said Wales Tourist Board chief Philip Evans.

The town - regarded as 'an icon' by the Board - is now right for a five-star hotel, and two potential investors are sharing that view, he revealed on Friday.

"This is what Tenby needs and is the only way it is going to move forward," Mr Evans told guests at the town's mayor-making ceremony.

Now in his second term as Wales Tourist Board chairman, he spoke of his pride as a local 'boy' at hearing Tenby mentioned at every Board meeting and being one of its top four photo-shoot locations.

New Mayor Councillor Caroline Thomas urged Pembrokeshire County Council - whose newly-installed chairman, Cllr Mickey Folland, is the senior member of Tenby Town Council - to share the Board's view of Tenby.

"We must increase our efforts to persuade the county council to see Tenby in the same light," she said.

She also hoped her year of office would see good news on the town's hospital project and the progressing of the De Valence Pavilion scheme that would transform the building 'from a white elephant to the goose that lays the golden egg'. Handing over the Mayor's chain of office after two years in the role was Cllr Christine Brown, who was appointed as deputy mayor. Cllr Sue Lane will serve as mayoress. Cllr Brown spoke of her 'truly exciting' year which had included Tenby's 600th charter anniversary celebrations and the launch of the De Valence project and Tenby Town Partnership. She proposed Cllr Thomas who would, she said, 'commit herself fully to the town and council.' The ceremony and reception was followed by a Civic Ball in the De Valence with dancing to the Frantic Five.