Eryri: Ditching Snowdonia name has been 'positive' for national park
The national park, which includes Wales's highest mountain, chose to only use its Welsh name in November 2022 to "promote the Welsh language".
Tuesday 12 November 2024 12:48, UK
The use of only its Welsh name has been "positive" for a national park, according to a report.
Eryri National Park, also known as Snowdonia, has used the Welsh name in its official communications since November 2022 in an effort to "promote the Welsh language" and "respect the cultural heritage of the area".
A report due to be presented to the park authority on Wednesday notes that "challenges remain" but the "overall impact" had been positive.
The two-year review recommends the authority to continue using only the Welsh names in all instances that are "not deemed to be statutory or legal purposes".
The park authority also uses the Welsh name Yr Wyddfa exclusively for Wales's highest mountain, rather than Snowdon.
The national park is not the only one in Wales to choose to use Welsh-only names.
Bannau Brycheiniog National Park chose to stop using Brecon Beacons in official communication last year.
But the move has been criticised by some, including the Welsh Conservatives, who called it a symbolic attempt to look "trendy".
The Welsh government has a target of reaching one million Welsh speakers by 2050.
But the most recent census found there were 538,300 Welsh speakers in Wales - a decrease of around 24,000 since 2011.
The sole use of the Welsh names at Eryri National Park has "positively impacted the authority's standing within the local communities", according to the report.
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But the challenges noted in the report include pronunciation challenges for non-Welsh speakers.
The review, conducted by the authority's head of communications, notes confusion from some who may think the names are "new" rather than "longstanding Welsh names".
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The authority says "anti-Welsh sentiment" can arise on social media and notes Facebook and TikTok as particular platforms where it occasionally receives a "backlash".
The park's logo still includes the English name Snowdonia, but the report suggests updating it to ensure greater consistency.