Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Palace, the Banqueting House, Whitehall
and Kew Palace with Queen Charlotte's
Cottage.
Many UK tourist destinations stage events,
of national, regional or local signifi cance,
as a way of boosting visitor numbers to
an area. Themes vary from celebrations
of anniversaries and carnivals to sporting
events and musical extravaganzas.
Examples include the Notting Hill
Carnival, the Lawn Tennis Championships
at Wimbledon, the Edinburgh Festival
and the Cardiff Singer of the World
Competition.
Learning about local customs and
traditions can be an important part of a
trip in the UK, especially for overseas
visitors. First-time visitors to Britain often
use London as a base for their stay, but
returning visitors tend to explore further
afi eld and get to know more about a local
area and its people. Food and drink play
an important part in a tourist's experience
of a country. Britain, for example, has a
growing number of food festivals and
farmers' markets that are not only popular
with local people, but also domestic and
inbound tourists, who appreciate the
chance to sample local cuisine.
The Notting Hill Carnival is popular with tourists
maps' to show visitors the areas with links to fi lms and
TV programmes as a way of generating extra tourist
numbers. Famous people from the past are often used
to promote particular destinations, e.g. Robin Hood
and Nottingham, William Shakespeare and Stratford-
on-Avon, the Brontë sisters in West Yorkshire, etc.
Visitors
This section of the unit has demonstrated that the UK
has a wide range of facilities to meet the needs of
many different types of domestic and inbound visitors.
They all have their own motivations for travel to and
within the UK. Many come to see Britain's rich cultural
heritage and history, while others take part in sporting
activities or watch sports events. Many choose to relax
in the countryside of follow a special interest. Examples
of the types of UK visitors and the facilities required to
satisfy their needs are shown in Figure 3.3.
Britain's Royal Family is a major attraction for overseas
visitors to the UK. The Royal Palaces in Britain, owned
by The Queen as Sovereign and held in trust for the
nation, contribute greatly to this country's appeal as
a tourist destination. The Historic Royal Palaces (HRP)
Agency is funded by the Department for Culture, Media
and Sport (DCMS) to preserve and present to the public
a selection of the Royal Palaces that are no longer used
by The Queen or members of the Royal Family. These
properties include the Tower of London, Hampton
Court Palace, the State Apartments at Kensington
The following case study gives an overview of the
features and facilities that attract visitors to the historic
town of Shrewsbury.
