The organisers of the Royal Welsh Show, who warn that shortening the school summer holiday in Wales would cost the event £1m in lost revenue, say holding the show on a different date to counter this would present “enormous practical challenges’’.

The Welsh government wants to shorten the holiday by a week and that means children would still be in school during the week in July when the show is always held.

The Royal Welsh Agricultural Society (RWAS) suggests that with families accounting for 68% of attendees, the changing the school holiday would result in “serious financial harm”, with a loss of income from reduced gate sales, membership, and camping revenue of more than £1m.

In response to a suggestion that the show dates could be moved to accommodate the new holiday period, RWAS chief executive Aled Rhys Jones said doing so would be “littered with complications and knock on effects’’.

“Moving the show, say a week later, would impact on other major events in Wales such as the National Eisteddfod,’’ he said.

Many of the show’s contractors and suppliers operate at both events and this would seriously impact their availability, he added.

“We do not want to see any major Welsh cultural event being undermined by these proposals and any change of this magnitude would need to be considered carefully by our Board of Directors,’’ said Mr Jones.

The government is proposing to shorten the summer holidays in two phases – the first stage would see the holidays reduced from six weeks to five, with the ultimate aim of reducing the holidays to four weeks.

This added further complication if a decision was made to reposition the show in the summer calendar, Mr Jones insisted.

“If the Royal Welsh Show was to change dates, where do we move to? Beginning or mid-August? Do we move once or move twice?

“The show sits within a UK calendar of agricultural shows and any change will have consequences on livestock exhibitors, traders, judges, stewards and sponsors, as well as other shows across the country.’’

While exploring a date change for one of Wales’s “longest running and most iconic events’’ is “not something the Society wants to do’’, Mr Jones added that, as a member-led charity, it would be a matter for discussion with its Board of Directors “as we determine our future path”.

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Almost a quarter of a million people visit the Royal Welsh Show annually and it is considered to be the largest agricultural show of its kind in Europe.

The economic impact of the event is in excess of £40m and there is approximately £10m of visitor spend during the event itself.

The RWAS said it was not against the principle of modifying the school year and understood the sentiment behind the proposals, but is asking the government to reconsider their proposed dates so that major events such as the Royal Welsh Show are always in the summer holidays.

The Welsh government is currently seeking responses to its consultation on the reform of the school year.

The RWAS is encouraging all members, volunteers, stakeholders and supporters to respond before the 12 February deadline by visiting gov.wales/structure-school-year