Wales.com

Nearly £16m of funding has been announced to create four tourism centres to provide world class facilities for outdoor and adventure activities across Wales.

The money will be used to develop centres of excellence with the highest standard of facilities that will act as a hub for encouraging more sustainable tourism centred on Wales’ natural environment.

In north Wales, more than £6m will be spent improving cycling facilities and activities capitalising "upon the area's outstanding natural beauty". In the south, an off-road cycling centre of excellence will be built and a scheme to link garden attractions.

The projects to benefit from the funding include a North Wales Cycling Activity Tourism Centre of Excellence, which includes a £2.2m plan to improve facilities across Denbighshire and Conwy. Money will also be spent improving facilities at Betws y Coed and Llyn Brenig in Conwy.

In Snowdonia, more than £4m will go towards the Eryri Centre of Excellence, which will be based across four sites. There will be an activity centre, and the mountain biking trails at Coed y Brenin, near Dolgellau, will be expanded.

A downhill cycling track will be developed around the old Llechwedd Quarry in Blaenau Ffestiniog, and another will link the Gwynedd village of Llanuwchllyn with the Urdd's Glan Llyn site near Bala.

Gwynedd council said it would help promote the area as a "world class outdoor activities destination".

In south Wales, more than £5m will be spent trying to create the "best all-round, purpose-built trail centre in the UK" at Afan Forest Park in Neath Port Talbot. The project will also include a "world-leading commercial bike park" in the Heads of the Valley area at Gethin Woods in Merthyr Tydfil.

Also in south Wales, more than £4.5m will go towards creating a "One Historic Garden" centre of excellence. The project hopes to improve gardens attractions in south west Wales - such as Bryngarw Country park and Colby Woodland Garden - and link them with a trail.