Sharp decline in visits to the UK coast
The number of Brits visiting its coastline has dropped 20% in the last 10 years, according to a YouGov study.
A comparative study of 9,000 adults in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, commissioned by the National Trust, found the decline was particularly sharp in young people.
It also found people are least likely to visit the coast if they live in the Midlands (37%), London (33%), Manchester (36%), Sheffield (41%) and Nottingham (44%).
The report said the biggest barrier stopping people from visiting coastal areas is not having enough spare time, cited by 29% of respondents, but 23% said the coasts are too busy when the weather is nice.
Some 18% said they were too expensive, 17% blamed lack of easy access to transport and 14% said they preferred to go abroad.
Kate Martin, the National Trust area ranger at Formby, Merseyside, told BBC Radio 5 live said it was a generational thing, partly due to the rise of cheap package holidays.
But despite the drop in visitors to the coast, nearly 90% of the adults questioned think of the UK coast as a national treasure and the majority agreed that it’s important for children to experience the UK’s seaside.
"There was an overwhelming sense of pride and affection for our shores with over three quarters of people agreeing that our coastline makes the UK a better place to live and more than one in five day dreaming of the coast during everyday life," said the report.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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