Today's children are not likely to grow up with memories of taking a good old-fashioned jaunt to the British seaside, as a new study by Travelodge has revealed one in ten youngsters has never visited a UK beach. The poll, of 2,000 kids aged between five and twelve years old revealed more young Brits have travelled to European resorts than British coastal destinations.
Due to the lack of beach visits, millions of youngsters are stumped when it comes to the location of many famous seaside towns. Findings revealed more than a quarter of young Brits have no idea where Brighton is, they think its on the west coast of the country and 17% of children think Blackpool is in the south. Other key findings revealed:
- A whopping 40% of respondents were clueless to the location of Eastbourne and Torbay
- 15% of children were baffled by the location of Cornwall
- 27% of young people had not heard of Bournemouth
- 38% of respondents did not know the location of Weymouth
- 30% of kids were mystified by the locality of Skegness
Further findings from the report revealed foreign travel is fundamental as part of growing up nowadays, as 78% of British children own a passport and youngsters favour foreign holiday hotspots over door step holiday locations. Fifty seven per cent of young Brits reported they have ventured onto Spanish Shores and 54% of youngsters have crossed the Channel to France whilst just 44% of children have been to Wales and only 39% have visited Scotland.
Travelodge Operations Director Paul Anstey said: "Our consumer research shows that 30% of holiday makers are switching from foreign to British holidays this summer due to the credit crunch, soaring air fares and the strong Euro. This means there is no better time than now to show our children how much fun a British seaside holiday can be.
Within the last decade, parents have been allured by budget airlines to overlook what is on their door step in favour of foreign shores. The real cost of these trips have resulted in youngsters not appreciating their heritage and not knowing what makes Britain so great. If this trend continues, we are in danger of the next generation of holiday makers not investing in British tourism, which is vital for the growth of the industry".
Results also revealed 45% of parents consult their children, on where to go for their family holiday with 53% of young people opting to go to a foreign country rather than staying in the UK due to the hot weather. Listed below are the top ten most visited countries by British children:
1. Spain
2. France
3. Greece
4. America
5. Italy
6. Germany
7. The Caribbean
8. Canada
9. Australia
10.Thailand
Tom Wright, Visitbritain Chief Executive said: "Travelodge's research highlights it's vital that we make children aware of the fantastic destinations on their own doorstep. As the next generation of travellers, we have to encourage their appreciation of a British holiday and ensure the future success of our industry".
To ensure British holidaymakers do not lose out on their summer break, Travelodge has launched a summer campaign, offering £50,000 rooms for £19 / £29 across the UK <http://travelodge-neo.sense- dev.com/saver_rooms/> which includes seaside, coastal and popular holiday destinations. In addition Travelodge has partnered up with leading British holiday brands such as National Express Coaches, Blackpool Pleasure Beach and Sea Life to offer customers additional savings on travel, attractions and refreshments. For further information please visit www.travelodge.co.uk
ENDS