Have Britons tired of the UK seaside? Visits to the coast down 20pc in 10 years
Sure, we do like to be beside the seaside – but is it losing its charm? We’re making fewer and fewer trips to the coast as seaside visits have dwindled by 20 per cent in just a decade.
A National Trust study found that 58 per cent of Britons haven’t had a single day trip to the coast in the past year – and it’s not just because we’re replacing British seaside resorts with trips to more exotic beaches abroad.
Although 14 per cent of those surveyed did say they preferred holidays overseas, far more cited overcrowded UK beaches and lack of time as the main hurdles.
The National Trust, unsurprisingly, is keen to reverse this trend and get Britons more excited about their domestic beaches, and Gwen Potter, the Trust’s wildlife and country ranger, commented:
The British coastline is a magical place and can offer such a diverse range of experiences – from a coastal walk to rock-pooling and just feeling a sense of freedom when kicking off your shoes. I think the coast offers a real sense of togetherness when you visit with loved ones
The question is whether this is already a losing battle, as the same study shows that while an astonishing 38 per cent of Britons aged 55 and above remember their “happiest childhood memory” as a day by the sea, the same figure for young adults, aged 18-24, is only 14 per cent.