Hadrian’s Wall - Where’s that then?

Over half of us are planning to take short breaks here in the UK this year, with more than four in ten more likely to holiday in Britain this year than previously. While this is potentially great news for British tourism, new research has revealed some serious knowledge gaps about precisely what is on offer, here on our doorstep.

According to the study by destination marketing agency NewcastleGateshead Initiative, which has launched a year-long programme of events celebrating North East England's landscape and heritage, when confronted with an image of Hadrian's Wall (the UK's greatest Roman monument) over half were unaware it was even in Britain. 27% assumed it was in Canada, 16% plumped for Finland and a confused 10% placed the photo in Alaska. The vast majority also had no idea how long the World Heritage Site of Hadrian's Wall is (approx. 150 miles in case you were wondering...).

Similarly, only 58% could correctly identify an image of Minach in Cornwall, with incorrect answers spanning Italy, Corsica and Greece. Over a third mislabelled Dorset's Jurassic Coast as being somewhere abroad and over a quarter thought a photo of Norfolk couldn't possibly be taken in the UK.

Over a third of the poll respondents admitted to putting more into research of foreign tourist destinations than UK hotspots and 29% admitted they are more likely to visit historic landmarks when they go abroad.

However, for those of us keen to holiday at home this year, it's clear we need to do more research to get the most out of our time away.

Carol Bell, head of programme development for North East England's cultural programme (culture10), said: "This research just confirms how little many of us know about the rich and diverse places of interest to visit right here in the UK.

"Here in North East England we have created a whole programme of events which delve back through the centuries to celebrate and animate the region's dramatic landscape and rich heritage in exciting new ways. With the return of annual festival favourites, as well as innovative, new commissions, we've created an ambitious programme of events that we hope will attract and embrace audiences from far and wide and help them to discover or re-discover what this region has to offer.

"Building on the growing cultural reputation of NewcastleGateshead and North East England each year, 2009 promises to put us firmly in the spotlight as a creative and vibrant place to be. As an accessible, affordable and attractive visitor destination, we look forward to welcoming visitors from across the UK and beyond to enjoy the sheer wealth of great value attractions and events available."

For further visitor information and to find out more about North East England's programme of festivals and events visit newcastlegateshead.com.