Pembrokeshire's economy now relies heavily on tourism; agriculture, once its most important industry with associated activities such as milling, is still significant. Mining of slate and coal had largely ceased by the 20th century. Since the 1950s,
petrochemical and
liquid natural gas industries have developed along the
Milford Haven Waterway and the county has attracted other major ventures. In 2016,
Stephen Crabb, then
Welsh Secretary, commented in a government press release:
"...with a buoyant local economy, Pembrokeshire is punching above its weight across the UK." In August 2019, the Pembrokeshire County Show celebrated 60 years at Haverfordwest Showground. The organisers anticipated 100,000 visitors, the largest three-day such event in Wales at the time. It showcased agriculture, food and drink, a rugby club, entertainment, with the star attraction a motorcycle display team.
Agriculture Until the 12th century, a great extent of Pembrokeshire was virgin woodland. Clearance in the lowland south began under Anglo-Flemish colonisation and under mediaeval tenancies in other areas. Such was the extent of development that by the 16th century there was a shortage of timber in the county. Little is known about mediaeval farming methods, but much arable land was continuously cropped and only occasionally ploughed. By the 18th century, many of the centuries-old open field systems had been
enclosed, and much of the land was arable or rough pasture in a ratio of about 1:3. Kelly's Directory of 1910 gave a snapshot of the agriculture of Pembrokeshire: were cropped (almost half under oats and a quarter barley), there were of grass and clover and of permanent pasture (of which a third was for hay). There were of mountain or heathland used for grazing, with of managed or unmanaged woodland. Estimates of livestock included 17,810 horses, 92,386 cattle, 157,973 sheep and 31,673 pigs. Of 5,981 agricultural holdings, more than half were between 5 and 50 acres. Pembrokeshire had a flourishing
wool industry. There are still working woollen mills at
Solva and
Tregwynt. One of the last few watermills in Wales producing flour is in
St Dogmaels. Pembrokeshire has good soil and benefits from the
Gulf Stream, which provides a mild climate and a longer growing season than other parts of Wales. Pembrokeshire's mild climate means that crops such as its new potatoes (which have
protected geographical status under European law) often arrive in British shops earlier in the year than produce from other parts of the UK. Other principal arable crops are
oilseed rape,
wheat and
barley, while the main non-arable activities are dairy farming for milk and cheese, beef production and sheep farming. The county lends its name to the
Pembroke Welsh Corgi, a herding dog whose lineage can be traced back to the 12th century, but which in 2015 was designated as a "vulnerable" breed. Since 2006, Pembrokeshire Local Action Network for Enterprise and Development (PLANED) has provided a forum to promote an integrated approach to rural development, in which communities, public sector and voluntary partners and specialist interest groups come together to influence policy and promote projects aimed at sustainable agriculture. Sub-groups include promoting food and farming in schools and shortening supply chains.
Fishing With Pembrokeshire's extensive coastal areas and tidal river estuaries, fishing was an important industry at least from the 16th century. Many ports and villages were dependent on the fishing. The former large
sea fishing industry around Milford Haven is now greatly reduced, although limited commercial fishing still takes place. At its peak, Milford was landing over 40,000 tons of fish a year.
Pembrokeshire Fish Week is a biennial event which in 2014 attracted 31,000 visitors and generated £3 million for the local economy.
Mining Slate quarrying was a significant industry in the 19th and early 20th centuries with quarrying taking place at about 100 locations throughout the county. Over 50 coal workings in the
Pembrokeshire Coalfield were in existence between the 14th and 20th centuries, with the last coal mine, at
Kilgetty, closing in 1950. Pembrokeshire has 61 disused coal tips; only one of these is in Category C (carrying a potential safety risk), but its location has not been disclosed.
Oil, gas and renewable energy There are two oil refineries, two
liquified natural gas (LNG) terminals and the 2,000
MW gas-fired
Pembroke Power Station (opened in 2012) at Milford Haven. The LNG terminals on the north side of the river, just outside
Milford Haven were opened in 2008; a pipeline connecting Milford Haven to Tirley in Gloucestershire was completed in 2007. The two oil refineries are operated by
Chevron (formerly Texaco) producing and
Murco (formerly Amoco/Elf) producing ; the latter was sold to
Puma Energy in 2015 with the intention of converting it to a storage facility. At the peak, there were a total of five refineries served from around the Haven: the
Esso refinery operated from 1960 to 1983, was demolished in the late 1980s and the site converted into the
South Hook LNG terminal; the
Gulf Refinery operated from 1968 to 1997 and the site now incorporates the
Dragon LNG terminal;
BP had an oil terminal at
Angle Bay which served its refinery at
Llandarcy and operated between 1961 and 1985. The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority has identified a number of areas in which
renewable energy can be, and has been, generated in the county. Following several years of planning after the initial impact studies begun in 2011, the first submarine turbine of three was installed in
Ramsey Sound in December 2015. The cumulative impact of single and multiple wind turbines is not without controversy and was the subject of a comprehensive assessment in 2013. In 2011 the first
solar energy farm in Wales was installed at Rhosygilwen,
Rhoshill with 10,000 panels in a field of , generating 1 MW.
Tourism , a recipient of both the 2019 Seaside and Green Coastal awards Pembrokeshire's tourism portal is
Visit Pembrokeshire, run by Pembrokeshire County Council. In 2015 4.3 million tourists visited the county, staying for an average of 5.24 days, spending £585 million; the tourism industry supported 11,834 jobs. Many of Pembrokeshire's beaches have won awards, including Poppit Sands and Newport Sands. In 2018, Pembrokeshire received the most coast awards in Wales, with 56
Blue Flag,
Green Coast or Seaside Awards. In the 2019 Wales Coast Awards, 39 Pembrokeshire beaches were recognised, including 11 awarded Blue Flag status. The Pembrokeshire coastline is a major draw to tourists; in 2011 National Geographic Traveller magazine voted the Pembrokeshire Coast the second best in the world and in 2015 the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park was listed among the top five parks in the world by a travel writer for the Huffington Post.
Countryfile Magazine readers voted the Pembrokeshire Coast the top UK holiday destination in 2018, and in 2019
Consumers' Association members placed Tenby and St Davids in the top three best value beach destinations in Britain. With few large urban areas, Pembrokeshire is a "dark sky" destination. The many wrecks off the Pembrokeshire coast attract divers. The decade from 2012 saw significant, increasing numbers of
Atlantic bluefin tuna, not seen since the 1960s, and now seen by some as an opportunity to encourage tourist sport fishing. The county has a number of theme and animal parks (examples are
Folly Farm Adventure Park and Zoo,
Manor House Wildlife Park and
Blue Lagoon Water Park), museums and other visitor attractions including
Castell Henllys reconstructed
Iron Age fort,
Tenby Lifeboat Station and
Milford Haven's Torch Theatre. There are 21 marked cycle trails around the county. Pembrokeshire Destination Management Plan for 2020 to 2025 sets out the scope and priorities to grow tourism in Pembrokeshire by increasing its value by 10 per cent in the five years, and to make Pembrokeshire a top five UK destination. ==Culture==