Foreigners uncover Britain’s hidden gems

Poole is the new cool, with overseas visitors hitting the vibrant Dorset seaside town in their droves, according to online travel and leisure giant lastminute.com. With tourism on the up, lastminute.com has discovered that our foreign friends are enjoying the best that Britain has to offer, and perhaps they could teach us a thing or two when it comes to discovering new places to visit.

Whilst London, Brighton and Edinburgh remain favourites amongst us Brits, overseas visitors have found a few hidden gems and perhaps the next big thing.

A record 32.5 million overseas residents are expected to visit Britain in 2007, spending an estimated £15.8bn in good ole Blighty.

Through its European network, lastminute.com analysed its latest booking trends to find out which are the most popular places to go in Britain, according to overseas visitors.

Research found that the most popular city break for overseas residents is of course the capital. However, Liverpool is now catching up and is the 2nd most popular city amongst overseas visitors. The European capital of culture 2008 has it all. With more listed buildings then any city outside of London, a cool music scene, vibrant nightlife and a blossoming restaurant scene, Liverpool just beats Bristol into second place.

As the gateway to the south west of England and Wales, Bristol comes in third favourite. The weather is clearly having a positive effect on tourism in the south west, with more and more overseas visitors heading to Devon and Cornwall.

Away from cities, Brighton remains a favourite amongst Brits and inbound tourists. However, we could be missing out on a hidden gem. Just 100 miles away from London, Poole in Dorset is the second most popular seaside town. Cool Poole, has had a major makeover in recent years and is now a major attraction.

John Bevan, Travel Director at lastminute.com comments, “We are seeing a significant rise in hotel bookings and indeed flights to regional airports across Britain, with many holidaymakers now taking up to five holidays a year. As our research shows, overseas residents are discovering new and exciting destinations across the country and we expect to see British holidaymakers follow suit.

Attractions have also grown in popularity with overseas visitors and along with the usual suspects; Legoland hits the top spot as the most visited attraction ahead of the London Eye, whilst Lightwater Valley, Alton Towers, Flamingo Land and Loudoun Castle also prove popular. Zoos and Aquariums are also hitting the spot with attractions such as Edinburgh Zoo, Chester Zoo and the Sealife Centre in Birmingham pulling in the crowds.

Jan Van Heel, Head of Entertainments comments, “It appears the warm weather has had a positive effect on tourism. More and more people are taking days out and enjoying some of the fantastic attractions available.”

Findings in full:

Top five cities (according to lastminute.com bookings)

1. London
2. Liverpool
3. Bristol
4. Edinburgh
5.Birmingham

Top five seaside towns (according to lastminute.com bookings)

1. Brighton
2. Poole
3. Newquay
4. Blackpool
5. Southend

Top five attractions (according to lastminute.com bookings)

1. Legoland
2. Alton Towers
3. London Eye
4. Lightwater Valley
5. London Dungeon