‘Hwyl can raise the heartbeat or relax the body; it’s your own particular form of happiness,’ says Welsh psychologist. The Danish word hygge, which summons a feeling of cosy, fire-crackling contentedness, has done its fair share for tourism in Scandinavia as well as sparking a string of self-help guides.
![[Steven Morris]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/uploads/2017/12/27/Steven_Morris,_L.png?width=75&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
Now Visit Wales is aiming to draw tourists to its hills, valleys, coastlines and cities by harnessing the lovely Welsh word hwyl, which it defines as a “deep state of joy that comes from being totally immersed in the moment”, in its 2025 publicity drive.
Visit Wales says hwyl can be found in places and scenarios that mean most to those taking part, whether it be exploring a forest, gazing at stars, surfing or attending a music festival. Pinning a PR campaign to a word can be troublesome. VisitScotland once used the Scottish Gaelic word còsagach to try to convey a feeling of snugness, but some speakers pointed out it meant “a wee nook or hole” such as a small creature might live in – not quite the vibe they were going for.
Rhys Iorwerth, a poet and translator from Caernarfon, north Wales, told the Guardian Visit Wales’s initiative could be a winner because the word (pronounced something like “hoo-eel”, though it depends on a speaker’s accent or dialect) could fit so many scenarios.
