Hi Darren,

Despite the weather (yep, agree it’s exceptionally important), it’s amazing how *successful* and important the industry is. £85billion market, employs 5% of workforce, 200million domestic trips, 30million international trips (gov stats). The internet does the logistical side of travel very well but I’m sure the above stats would grow even more if people were aware of just what’s out there in the UK and if we could harness the knowledge of local experts, ie B&B owners, tour guides etc. For example …

For beauty, I think the Isle of Skye is up there with Everest region/Okavango/Machu Picchu etc and great for adventure travel.

The beaches in South Devon, around Salcombe to Bigbury-on-Sea are breathtaking and great for families.

The more blog posts like this the better.

James

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With camping and caravaning attracting more interest these days then check out Go Glamping:

http://goglamping.net/location/united-kingdom/

The Glam Pod at Mayrose Farm in Cornwall has an interesting solution to the crap (sorry, unpredictable) British weather: a canvas cottage set within its own private field with the outside garden area enclosed in a controlled climatic environment known as a biome. Very good idea!

http://www.mayrosecamping.co.uk/

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British Tourism week wasn’t promoting anything over here in California thats for sure. I only knew about it, like you, because it’s my business to know about it. We are supposed to be having a “Britweek” here in Los Angeles next month ( http://www.britweek.org ) but again the promotion, outside of the website, doesn’t exist ( #Britweek ). I see a great opportunity to promote Tourism to Britain to a market that is very receptive to British tourism, it’s a shame nobody else does.

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I’m celebrating British Tourism Week by emigrating to Australia exactly one month after its passing.

I’m quite fond of our daily downpours here in Blighty, and it’ll be a fascinating experience to see how a country with sunshine squared maximises its weather patterns to draw in the punters.

Aside from being drenched almost every weekend, I enjoy seeing splodges on the windows. Having not been to the Eden Project I imagine the effect would be magnified to untold degrees as water hits its bug-eye walls.

I think the best way to make Britain even greater in the eyes of your everyman tourist would be to get a big piece of polythene and cover the Lake District. And make pies cheaper in London.

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If you’ve never been, the Cornwall coast from St Ives Bay north to Rock/Padstow is packed with the most extraordinary beaches and coastline. The one at Perranporth stretches for miles and is staggering. The South West Coast Path follows the line of the beaches if walking’s more your thing and the whole area is packed with historial goodies. Great food, great surfing vibe etc, etc

Spent a very sunny weekend photographing this stretch of coastline and came away feeling as high as a kite.

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Hi Darren
Thanks for your efforts to promote British holidays.
Hopefully you don’t mind me mentioning Shropshire. It’s an undiscovered county in the UK. We have lots of very beautiful countryside but without the crowds of the better known areas of the UK.

We have the Shropshire Hills Area of outstanding natural beauty http://www.shropshirehillsaonb.co.uk/ which includes the Long Mynd ( aka “Little Switzerland”) and Wenlock Edge.

Ludlow was described by Betjeman as “the loveliest town in Britain” http://www.ludlow.org.uk/. Ludlow is very well known for its food with 2 Michelin star restaurants, La Becasse and Mr Underhills.

Apart from Ludlow which is oozing history ,Shropshire has loads of other places of historical interest. We have the greatest number of Iron Age Hills Forts in the country and lots of interesting castles.
For NT lovers we have Croft Castle, Berrington Hall, Attingham Park, Erdigg and we’re close to Powis Castle, which is just over the border in Wales.

This year is the year of anniversaries for Shropshire. Darwin grew up in Shrewsbury, 300 years since the industrial revolution started here in ironbridge, 150 years since A.E. Housmann of “A Shropshire Lad” fame was born and more!

We also have some of the friendliest people in the country. My guests are always amazed at the friendly welcome they receive from everyone they meet.

Shropshire is about 3 hours from London – there is now a direct rail link from London, but also very accessible from the North and East.

I’ve put in the the link the local farm holiday group which I chair – lots of rural B&Bs and self catering properties – hope that’s ok!

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Not sure on rules for links on this forum but photography of Cornwall trip here. Geo-located on a map too to help visualise it all: http://www.picturetheuk.com/uk-tourism/things-to-do/perran-beach/things-to-do-nearby-453.html

And btw, the sun was shining, it does shine in the UK and the weather stereotype is bimmin dull.

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Building up to topple Edinburgh’s crown as best UK Festival city, Brighton is revving up the festival fever ready for May. So howabout a Festival break in the city by the sea? The month when the city really comes alive, Brighton makes a great destination for a family or cultural break.

With FOUR festivals in one – The Brighton Festival, Brighton Festival Fringe, Artists Open House and the Great Escape, the city is packed with over 700 performances, including art, music, sculpture, cabaret, comedy, theatre and family events.

This year also sees Turner Prize winner Anish Kapoor bring his seminal Sky Mirror to the city, as well as brand new works commissioned specially for the Festival, so it really is a year not to miss.

All that in a city that oozes culture, creativity, fabulous shopping and award winning restaurants, plus a great laid back vibe, makes Brighton the perfect place for a great British holiday! Oh and we’ve got sea, a magnificent Royal Palace and loads of stunning countryside and coastline right on the doorstep too.

You can find out more about Brighton on http://www.visitbrighton.com,

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Yep, Brighten is proving more and more popular with trendy 20 / 30 somethings.

My recommendations would be to head to Bath for incredible Roman sites and to potter around a lovely quaint town.

Jersey for the best cream tea in the country and Stratford-upon-Avon to experience Shakespeare country…

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I’m amazed at how few people from anywhere other than the north west of England even know about Anglesey, never mind visit it, when it is such a wonderful little gem. Yep, you have to be good at being able to make your own entertainment, but if you’re into walking or hiking, then you will be in your element.

I love Wales anyhow, and Anglesey has the bonus of getting better weather than the rest of the UK as I think it misses the low pressure belt (errr, but do correct me if this is not the reason it gets sun when the rest of the north doesn’t, as I’m no Weather Girl) and it can be boiling hot there while chucking it down in Chester.

The coastal walks are just absolutely lovely. The Dulas to Moelfre walk is especially awe-inspiring and one I’ve done many times as my parents have a good old British caravan at Lligwy (and my sister also lives in Benllech, so I’m down there a lot) although I love walking up at Penmon Point as well which is stunning. I like being on the beach at Rhosneigr off-season, it can have a very desolate feel to it but that’s why I like it.

This page is good if you’re interested in doing coastal walks in Anglesey:

http://www.walkingnorthwales.co.uk/home.php?/walks_by_region;rid=5

I do prefer being there out of the school holidays and bank holiday weekends, as you might not see a single passer by when walking then, whereas there can be a bit of shoulder bumping on those narrow coastal paths at busier times!

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Oh, and what I really love about the coastal walks link I posted above is that the walks are available as pdf print offs, which is very handy!

The one I mentioned, Dulas to Moelfre is here:

http://www.walkingnorthwales.co.uk/pdfs/CircularWalksMoelfreStCadogandStGallgo_69.pdf

You could pop in to my mum’s for a cuppa on the way

Oh, and no, I have absolutely no affiliation with walking north wales, but I do want you to experience Anglesey!

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I think the best way to make Britain even greater in the eyes of your everyman tourist would be to get a big piece of polythene and cover the Lake District. And make pies cheaper in London

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