Wales defied a national downward trend with a 4.45 per cent increase in town centre footfall in 2023.

A report by Place Informatics, the UK’s monitor of visitor numbers and behaviour, showed an overall drop in UK footfall, but Wales outperformed, becoming one of the highest-ranking regions.

The report examined footfall across 12 UK regions in 2023 and compared it to the previous year.

A slight overall decline in town centre footfall in the UK of 0.22 per cent, but month-by-month analysis showed an average rise of nearly 5 per cent during the first six months and a decrease in the latter half of the year, with November and December seeing the most significant decrease at over 5 per cent.

Despite this concerning pattern, some areas including Wales experienced considerable growth.

Clive Hall, CEO of Place Informatics, said: "Our annual visitor behaviour data report shows some interesting trends across the UK.

"2023 started positively with a significant increase in footfall across UK town centres but was followed by a sharp decline towards the end of the year."