Canal tourism to get helpful boost from Google Trekker

The news that the Canal and River Trust, which looks after England’s inland waterways, is the first UK user of Google Trekker is welcomed by specialist boating agency Waterways Holidays.

Starting this week, Canal and River Trust staff will walk Google’s 360-degree backpack-mounted camera – on loan in the UK for the first time – along miles of Britain’s canals, with the results uploaded to Google’s Street View service for users world-wide to see.

“It’s great news, and the Canal and River Trust is to be congratulated for such forward-thinking,” says Waterways Holidays managing director Nigel Richards.

“Britain’s beautiful inland waterways are still largely unknown by the majority of the public.  This innovative project will enable people to see them in a new way, and it is bound to boost tourism on our canals and navigable rivers,” adds Richards.

Today, Waterways Holidays also reports an 18% increase in bookings for UK boating holidays during the three months of June, July and August (to date), compared to the same period last year.

“Self-drive boating holidays have clearly benefitted from this great summer weather, and more holidaymakers than ever before have discovered not only the beauty, but the other benefits of a holiday on Britain’s canals,” says Richards.

Find Britain’s biggest choice of boats and start points at Waterways Holidays, visit waterwaysholidays.com.