A BOOMING summer for the Gwent tourist industry promises to clinch more than £150 million for the local economy.

Despite the lack of sunshine, tourist attractions across the county are reporting visitor numbers up on the same time last year.

The spin-off from the National Eisteddfod at Newport and increased investment in visitor attractions is believed to be behind the recent surge in trade.

Last year, the tourist trade in Gwent contributed £152 million to the economy, and industry bosses say they are confident this year will be even busier.

Peter Walker, manager at the Big Pit Mining Museum in Blaenavon, told the Argus he had seen a massive 30 per cent increase in visitor numbers so far this summer.

He said: "We are having our busiest season ever, and it's our 21st birthday, too, so it's a great celebration."

Mr Walker said he put the surge in visitors down to the recent completion of a £7 million investment programme at Big Pit - funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and the National Assembly.

He said: "Our biggest increase has been in casual visitors, both from South Wales and further afield. The new exhibitions here are proving extremely popular."

In Newport, the National Eisteddfod, which ended on Sunday, has been credited with raising the city's profile.

In just nine days more than 155,000 people passed through the gates of the festival at Tredegar House.

And with thousands of performers also descending on the city, Newport hotels were booked up weeks in advance.

Mike Lewis, museums and heritage officer with Newport council, said: "Tredegar House was very busy with visitors at the end of the Eisteddfod week.

"But the Eisteddfod's main benefit for us has been long term. It raised our profile, a whole new group of people heard and saw what the area has to offer, and that can only have a positive fall-out for the future."

The Eisteddfod has also been held responsible for a 9 per cent increase in visitors to Caerleon Roman Fortress and Baths, a 14 per cent increase at Tintern Abbey and a 23 per cent rise at Raglan Castle.

A spokesman for Cadw, who run the sites, said: "The National Eisteddfod's location in Newport led to a noticeable increase in visitor numbers and income across the majority of our sites in south-east Wales.

"It seems many took full advantage of the Eisteddfod to explore the region and its unique heritage."

At Greenmeadow Farm in Cwmbran the animals have also enjoyed a steady rise in visitor numbers.

Farm manager Mo Williams said: "So far we are having a better summer than last year and we are expecting the rest of August to continue in the same way."

In Abergavenny, organisers of the town's popular annual food festival, to be held on September 18 and 19, say they, too, are expecting a bumper year. Last year the festival was declared the best tourist event in Wales after attracting almost 20,000 visitors.

Festival director Martin Orbach told the Argus requests for festival programmes had been coming in "thicker and faster" than ever before, and from as far afield as Scotland, France and the USA.