The former chief executive of MWT Cymru received a special presentation at the Mid Wales Tourism Awards 2024 ceremony to mark her 25-year contribution to the industry.

Val Hawkins, MBE, retired earlier this year but continues to support MWT Cymru, which represents around 600 tourism and hospitality businesses across Powys, Ceredigion and Southern Snowdonia (Eryri), as a consultant.

She has worked in the tourism sector for more than 40 years and her contributions to the company and the wider industry were recognised last year when she was awarded an MBE for her services to tourism and the Welsh economy.

Val has been succeeded as chief executive by Zoe Hawkins, who was promoted from operations manager in March this year, after 14 years’ service.

MWT Cymru chairman Rowland Rees-Evans and Mid Wales Regional Tourism Forum charman Steve Hughson both thanked Val for her outstanding service to tourism.

Presenting her with a gift and bouquet, Mr Rees-Evans thanked her for safely guiding the company through many major challenges during her service. He said she is widely respected within the tourism industry not just in Wales, but across the UK.

He added: “I can’t tell you how proud we were when she was recognised with an MBE last year for her contribution to our industry.”

Mr Hughson described Val as “a force of nature” and said the MBE was well deserved. “I know how much work she did behind the scenes to protect the tourism sector not just in Mid Wales but the whole of Wales,” he added.

Val, who lives in Newtown, was born in Glasgow and worked in the hotel sector in Scotland, including the famous Gleneagles Hotel, before becoming Rowntree Mackintosh’s first female sales representative in Scotland.

The sales role led her to England’s South Coast where she met her husband, Mike and the couple moved to their current Newtown home on Christmas Eve 1979 when his parents retired from the farm.

Whilst raising their three daughters, Val ran a farm guest house at their home for ten years before she joined Mid Wales Tourism as membership manager in June, 1999.

Working with a range of partners, she secured European funding for a successful training project for Powys tourism businesses and communities and was promoted to general manager in 2005-‘06, a job title that developed to chief executive.

Val helped to develop and implement pioneering digital technology, with Mid Wales becoming one of the first UK regions to have a destination management system and launched the first Visit Mid Wales regional website in 2001, which expanded to cover the whole of Wales.

Val said: “I am proud that MWT Cymru brings together businesses, local communities and national organisations here in Mid Wales which has helped to reinforce the position and reputation of the company.”