If you speak to any travel agent, they’ll most likely tell you that your best summer holiday options lie thousands of miles away from the UK this year. They want you to believe that the baking hot coastlines of Spain and the scorched beaches of Turkey or Egypt hold more in store than our own humble British shores could ever offer.
Delve a little deeper and you’ll see that these agents are simply trying to meet their quotas. The UK is one of the world’s greatest holiday destinations, especially during the spring and summer months.
Here are just a few of the many great reasons to choose a holiday in Britain over a journey to a foreign country this year.
Save money
With oil prices having skyrocketed over the last year or two, the cost of flights has increased significantly. While budget airlines might advertise some incredibly low, bargain prices for their flights, they pile the costs back on very quickly in taxes and charges for luggage, in-flight meals, seat reservations, and pretty much anything else they can think of!
Save yourself the financial burden of flights by planning a journey to a UK holiday resort. Not only will your journey, by road or by rail, cost you less but your accommodation in the UK is likely to be much better value for money. Take a look at Cumbrian cottages, for example. The standard of accommodation in Windermere, Keswick, Grasmere or Ambleside in the heart of the beautiful Lake District scenery is nothing short of luxurious, with lavishly-furnished cottages and immaculate gardens awaiting your visit. Compared to a three-star hotel in the Costa del Sol, which will have taken a pounding from partygoers for much of the year, a Cumbrian cottage offers comfort and relaxation on another level altogether.
Save the planet
Fuel-guzzling flights have a huge carbon footprint, and the damage that exotic foreign holidays do to the planet doesn’t end there. Tourist industries in beautiful countries like St Lucia and Hawaii are responsible for the serious problems of litter, deforestation and damage to sea life. Local cultures and traditions also suffer at the hands of tourists, notably in countries like Australia.
Choosing to make exotic foreign holidays a rare treat rather than the norm can make a world of difference to state of the environment. And in the meantime, you can enjoy exploring the wealth of beautifully-kept British resorts.
See the Lake District
Places like Devon, Somerset, Suffolk and Cornwall often grab the most attention from British holidaymakers, with their kind summer climates drawing in tourists from around the UK and abroad. But there are real treasures to be found by those who dare to venture north, to the North Yorkshire Moors, the Peak District and the dramatic landscapes of the Lake District.
In northern towns and cities like York, Derby, Carlisle and Kendal accommodation caters for adventurous who want to get off the beaten track and see some of England’s most beautiful countryside. Muddy walking boots and damp wet suits are expected in the north of England, so you won’t feel out of place as you trek back to your lodgings bearing the marks of an explorer!
Be active
Stretching out on the beach or the pool in some sunny country might be fun for a day or two. But do you really want to allow your body and mind to stagnate for your whole holiday? New opportunities for active holidays are springing up all the time in the UK, so whether you fancy wind surfing, paragliding, hillwalking, rock climbing, horse riding or canoeing, Britain is the place to do it. Areas like the Wye Valley in Herefordshire can compete with anywhere in the world for the sheer beauty of its rivers, hills and forests, so why would you want to travel thousands of miles for your holiday?
Enjoy the sunshine
If meteorological predictions hold true, 2011 could be a scorcher of a summer in the UK. Such optimism will be met with groans by many Brits who are perennially washed out in June and July, but if this year does prove to be one of the hotter ones, you’ll want to be able to say “I was there”.
