Why go abroad for your holidays?

[shims]

I heard a rumour that abroad has no Radio 4, no pubs, no marmite and funny tea. Best stay here I think.

 

Indeed.

 

Abroad is also known for the nasty habit of cooking more than one vegetable in the same pan simultaneously and (this bit is beyond the pale) expecting us to assume the role of foreigners as we walk around pastily amongst the swarthy natives.

[taxman]

I go abroad for the wildlife, whales, penguins, tigers, gorillas, giant tortoises, rare birds.

 

Hard to find them in Britain unless I go to a zoo

[Little Buzz]

I go abroad for the wildlife, whales, penguins, tigers, gorillas, giant tortoises, rare birds.

 

Hard to find them in Britain unless I go to a zoo

 

They're hard to find anywhere, that's why zoos are such a great idea - it's like having a filing cabinet for animals

[sierraman]

I think this may answer your question from the thisiscornwall website ...

TOURISM industry leaders fear the dismal and soggy weather which has plagued the West Country for two summers in a row will drive holidaymakers abroad in their droves next year.

 

More than double the average amount of rain fell across the region last month and industry chiefs have warned that the washout summer, on top of last year's depressing season, could deter tourists from booking their next summer holiday in the region.

 

The tourism economy, which is worth an estimated £8.9 billion to the South West region, could be hit if visitors decide not to risk another wet and miserable holiday in Britain and take a foreign holiday instead.

 

Tourism in Devon and Cornwall has not suffered too badly this year, despite the relentless and miserable downpours, due to pre-booked trips. But the wet July and August weather has put many people off another West Country holiday and there are signs they are already looking to sunnier resorts abroad for next year.

 

Malcolm Bell, head of South West Tourism, said that prolonged periods of wet weather made it hard to persuade people to come back to the Westcountry.

 

 

He added: "There's a difference between a wet shower and what we've had, which is just rain, rain. If it pours down and then clears up, that's one thing. But if it blows out a whole day, it does do harm.

 

"People would love seven days of sunshine and they will settle for three or four good days, but at the moment we're struggling to get one or two good days."

 

He added that, while wet weather attractions may be benefiting this year, even they worried that the tourists might not return next year.

 

"We were hoping a good summer would persuade people to think of the South West next year, but this year will persuade them to think about going abroad."

 

Some meteorologists say this year's weather has not been particularly unusual for Britain and say it has been a "classic British summer".

 

But figures from the Exeter-based Met Office show that July was even wetter in the South West than it was during last year's downpours.

 

The figures show that 166mm of rain fell in Cornwall in July, 254 per cent of the long-term average, while in Devon, 158mm of rain fell, 250 per cent of the long-term average.

 

Figures for August are not yet available, but are expected to show that this summer has been as much of a washout as last year, if not more so.

 

John Hammond, forecaster at the Met Office, said that while June was "not a bad month", July was wet in both counties with double or more than double the average amount of rain.

 

He added: "With many people being off in July, and especially after last year's wet summer, there was an expectation that this year was going to be a big improvement.

 

"Unfortunately, this part of the world has seen some of the most unsettled weather through the past few weeks.

 

"It's unfortunate for holidaymakers and residents alike. For those expecting prolonged dry weather, this is not good news."

 

West Country travel companies are reaping the benefits of those who want to escape from the wet and windy weather by jetting off abroad.

 

Campsites and surf schools are seeing the normal influx of summer customers, but much of this comes from advance bookings.

 

William Giles, manager of the National Surfing Centre on Fistral beach, said that the beaches had been a lot quieter and this meant less walk-in trade.

[Mathom]

Why do people let rain ruin a holiday? You don't have to choose between mindless sunbathing or going to an 'indoors attraction' to kill boredom. You can still go out, just put a bloody jacket on! If it's really bad then you can just tour round in the car and look at stuff.

[BasilRathbon]

Why do people let rain ruin a holiday? You don't have to choose between mindless sunbathing or going to an 'indoors attraction' to kill boredom. You can still go out, just put a bloody jacket on! If it's really bad then you can just tour round in the car and look at stuff.

 

Absolutely - either that or simply indulge in watersports so it doesn't matter how wet you get!

[Mathom]

Absolutely - either that or simply indulge in watersports so it doesn't matter how wet you get!

 

And you can make use of that orange cagoule and a nice, warm flask too. You'd want to watch where you dunked your custard creams, like.

[Donny Lad]

I guess I'm lucky in that I don't particularly like lazing around in hot sun, especially as I have recovered from a relatively mild form of skin cancer (once bitten, twice shy), so a hotter climate doesn't in itself appeal to me and doesn't have any bearing on where I go on holiday.

 

Having said that, I coped with temperatures of just over 100 degrees F in Alice Springs when I was in Australia in February, but also got soaked to the skin in Cairns, so it isn't only in Britain that you get heavy rain (the difference being that in Australia in February it's warm rain).

 

I have travelled to every continent except (so far) Africa but I have enjoyed (and still am enjoying) numerous holidays in the UK, whether it be out walking in our glorious countryside or exploring an interesting town or city I haven't been to before. There is hardly a holiday I have had abroad when at some point, while admiring a particular piece of landscape, I haven't thought to myself: 'Yes, that's pretty spectacular, but it's no better than you can get, say, in the Peak District or North York Moors, or North Wales, or the Scottish Highlands.' The view across Scarborough from the top of Oliver's Mount on a nice day, or the view along the coast to Robin Hood's Bay from Ravenscar are as good if not better than anything you will get in, say, Spain or Italy.

 

A lot of people tend to disregard places which are almost on their doorstep. Take a trip to somewhere like London or York at this time of the year - you will find foreign visitors from almost every corner of the globe. They're obviously happy to holiday in Britain.

 

It's horses for courses, and variety definitely is the spice of life.

 

PS: I've just thought of another good reason for staying in Britain. The beer's better.

[buck]

I heard a rumour that abroad has no Radio 4, no pubs, no marmite and funny tea. Best stay here I think.

We have no Radio 4, thank the lord, We have a pub called the Shamrock, thank the lord, we have no marmite, thank the lord, and the tea is Barry's which comes from Ireland, praise be to god.

[splodgeyAl]

We have no Radio 4, thank the lord, We have a pub called the Shamrock, thank the lord, we have no marmite, thank the lord, and the tea is Barry's which comes from Ireland, praise be to god.

 

didnt realise god was in the import / export business