Virtually all businesses are struggling during the coronavirus lockdown - but there’s one industry that’s determined not to be forgotten.

Tourism has possibly suffered more than most following the decision to close pubs, restaurants and hotels for the foreseeable future, a move central to the government’s strategy to slow the spread of the potentially fatal disease.

The trade is said to be worth more than £460 million a year to tourism businesses in the Swansea Bay region, so its sudden collapse is already being keenly felt.

But while a complete end to lockdown seems to still be some way off, tourism bosses have decided not to sit on their hands, but have been pro-active by launching an advertising campaign which harnesses the popularity of fantasy drama series Game of Thrones - and the iconic Welsh dragon.

A series of advertising designs is being used to market tourism across Swansea Bay for when lockdown ends and people can return, which builds on world-wide reports of the natural world thriving in the absence of normal human activity, and suggests the red dragons have been spotted flying ‘once again’, over Gower.

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"Many animals have wandered out of their natural habitats and entered towns and places where they have not been seen for years," according to Tourism Swansea Bay which represents hundreds of businesses.

"Up until this week there have been no confirmed sightings of Red Dragons flying in Wales for a very long time, possibly centuries.

"But these dramatic pictures show them gathering at Rhossili and soaring over the cliffs towards Worms Head."

A dragon is pictured over Mumbles Pier
The dragon images have already attracted 'hundreds' of positive responses

Tourism Swansea Bay chief executive Stephen Crocker said: “There are real concerns for businesses during lockdown, and one is the real cost when they come to open up again.

“Many will struggle financially, but if we can do what we can to get people coming through the doors, it might help them get up and running again.

“At the moment we have to discourage tourists from non essential travel to our area, but we want to get people coming to Wales when it is over.

“Wales isn’t just about summer, it is also a winter destination; we have castles and beaches and all sorts of other attractions.

“So we are asking people to visit Wales later, and long term this could be a real boom for the region.

“When the lock down is finally lifted we expect huge numbers of visitors hoping to spot our famous Welsh dragons."

An evening view of dragons over Cefn Bryn, the highest point on Gower

He said they would be running Find The Dragon events in the area, possibly in the autumn or next year.

“We’ve had hundreds of responses to the campaign already, and people seem to think it is great.

“But they will need to be managed well because we don’t want to drive the Dragons back into hiding”.

The campaign also see dragons ‘flying’ west towards Carmarthen, and north towards the Brecon Beacons.