Weather affects tourism in Britain

Holidaymakers are more affected by the weather in Britain than they are by their perceptions of quality, value for their money or by the credit crunch, according to a VisitBritain report.

The British national tourism agency reported that for the summer season in 2007, which was said to be the wettest recorded, bookings at numerous coastal resorts and seaside resort towns were seriously affected.

A spokesman for VisitBritain noted that the 2007 summer season had mixed results for cities and towns across England, as many saw declines in visitor numbers and spending, as compared with the summer of 2006, which was on record as one of the warmest seasons ever.

After London, Blackpool was the most popular destination, with Britons travelling to the seaside resort on 1.6 million holidays last year.

Even with the unwelcoming weather, the number of visitors to British attractions rose by three percent in 2007.

The most popular attraction where visitors paid an entrance fee was the Tower of London, reporting more than two million visitors. St Paul’s Cathedral attracted 1.6 million visitors and Great Yarmouth’s Pleasure Beach saw 1.4 million.

Xscape Milton Keynes, an attraction with no entrance fee charged, drew 6.9 million visits. Blackpool Pleasure Beach followed with 5.5 million visitors and the British Museum welcomed 5.4 million people.

www.visitbritain.com