British tourism week

From the 12th March the UK will be celebrating British Tourism Week. It seems strange that we have to raise awareness about tourism in the UK, with millions of tourists flocking to British shores every year surely we should have cottoned on the fact that Britain is a cool place to visit.

However, there are millions of people out there that have seen more of Spain, France and even Australia than they have of their own country. Here are a few reasons to escape to all corners of the British Isles this year.

Time

Travelling through the UK is easy. You can take your own car, you don’t have to pay for a flight or airport parking for that matter and you can even get to thousands of destinations via public transport if you don’t have your own wheels.

Because transport is straightforward you can go away for just a few days. Conveniently in the UK we celebrate public holidays on Mondays, aside from Christmas, New Year and Good Friday. In May for example you have two opportunities to get away for three days, plenty of time to explore a new region of Britain.

Get active

Britain, like most other wealthy nations across the planet has a problem with obesity. Our sedentary lifestyles mean it is all too easy to put on weight. The UK has a varied and diverse landscape, from the flat lowlands of the Norfolk Broads to the steep, towering peaks of the Highlands, via rolling hills in Sussex and miles of undulating coastline in Cornwall.

This means you can try sailing and surfing one week and mountain biking and wakeboarding the next. Interestingly there has been more snow in Scotland than in some parts of the Alps this season, so get your skis on and head to Cairngorm.

History

You always hear the Americans hark on about how we have so much history, but it’s true, we do. From ancient Stonehenge, to a stretching Roman wall named Hadrian’s Wall and Tudor mansions to Georgian townhouses our past is rich, long and thoroughly interesting and the only way to learn about it is to explore it first hand; it beats a history lesson at school that’s for sure.

Hotels and B&Bs

Nowhere else in the world has an accommodation set up quite like the UK. B&Bs are small, personal and often family run places and hotels vary from grand stately homes to boutique offerings with themed rooms. Price can be high, but advanced booking opportunities mean holidaying in Britain can be affordable as well as rewarding.

Brian Tin is a freelance writer and UK travel enthusiast. They recommend Millennium Hotels for a hotel UK, and hotels Gatwick airport