09 October 2008

Rain is a bigger headache than credit crunch

The British weather is the greatest influence on holidaymakers and is more important than perceptions of quality and value for money, or the credit crisis, according to VisitBritain.

The national tourism agency said that during the 2007 summer, dubbed the wettest on record, bookings to some coastal resorts and city destinations were badly affected.

"Last year was a mixed picture for EnglandÃ~´s towns and cities with many seeing declines after one of the warmest summers on record in 2006," said a spokesman for VisitBritain.

Blackpool was the most popular city or town after London, with Britons taking 1.6 million holidays in the UKÃ~´s flagship seaside resort last year.

Despite the weather, visitor numbers to attractions in Britain grew by three per cent in 2007.

The Tower of London was the most popular paid-for attraction last year with over two million visitors, followed by St PaulÃ~´s Cathedral,Ã~attracting 1.6 millionÃ~people and Pleasure Beach in Great Yarmouth with 1.4 million visitors.

The most-visited free attraction in 2007 was Xscape Milton Keynes, with 6.9 million visits, followed by Blackpool Pleasure Beach (5.5 million visitors) and the British Museum, which welcomed 5.4 million people.

Mercedes-Benz World in Surrey had the biggest growth in visitor numbers. In 2007, 306,000 people passed through it doors, up 418 per cent on the previous year.

Ã¢â¬ÅâœCome rain or shine, our world-renowned attractions offer something for all our visitors, whatever the season,Ã¢â¬~ said VisitBritain chief executive Tom Wright.

By Jeremy Skidmore