The countryside is boring, say 53% of Brits
Over half of Brits polled by budget hotel chain, Travelodge, think visiting the countryside is boring.
In the survey of 3,000 Brits, 53% of adults said there was nothing to see or do in Britain’s countryside.
Even a fifth of British children find nature’s playground unexciting.
For a third of the nation, the idea of taking a trip to the British countryside has not even crossed their mind.
John Tribe, professor of tourism from University of Surrey said: “It is alarming news that over half of the nation thinks the British countryside is boring and there is nothing to do or see there.
“Maybe this is because in the last decade Britons have preferred to holiday abroad and as a result; they have forgotten the UK is abundant with great rural holiday locations.â€
The study also tested the respondents’ knowledge of the Countryside Code and revealed:
only 17% of adults admitted they knew the British Countryside Code.
24% thought they had the right to pick wild flowers in the countryside (which they don’t).
10% thought it was safe to eat all berries and fungus they found growing in the countryside.
– 32% had difficulty identifying a pheasant
– 22% could not identify a hare. One in 10 adults thought it was a deer
– 12% of adults thought a stag was a reindeer
– 10% could not identify a sheep
– 42% could not identify an otter
– 20% could not identify a weasel
– 83% could not identify the common Bluebell flower
– 44% could not identify the popular oak tree
– 74% could not identify a horse chestnut tree
– 71% could not identify a pine tree
To help Brits rediscover their country’s free rural attractions, Travelodge is offering over half a million, £19 and £29 rooms in rural locations across the UK.
By Bev Fearis
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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