France can see a lot of British visitors/tourists certainly because what is bringing the crowd (mainly) to the south of France is the sunny weather. The Côte d'Azur is what attracts: Cannes, Nice and St Tropez are popular.
The paradox being that the Southwest of England has something similar: there is a microclimate which brings good weather too - delightful sun and light breeze. There are numerous beaches too.
So, why are British holidaymakers going abroad when they can find the same - and maybe even more at a better price at their doorsteps?
It is certain that changing scenery is a winner. It is also about discovering new cultures and traditions.
There is also an obvious interest for the Brits to taste a bit of traditional French cuisine, with all relevant herbs and fresh ingredients.
The English Riviera is beautiful and unique too. Torquay and Torbay have a few palm trees and the entire southwest coast, up to Lyme Regis is magical with incredible landscapes as well. There are still traditional tea rooms serving Devonshire cream teas (scones, clotted cream, jam and tea of course).
Devon is seen as something very green and peaceful. Indeed, it is the countryside but it is buzzing too because Exeter and Plymouth aren't that distant and in between, there are places such as Dartmouth (with a castle and great architecture) and Dartmoor and its wild ponies.
Trekking or cycling through Devonshire is good fun even if some cyclists might find it difficult because of the uneven horizon, but this is what makes it fun afterall. Between Lympstone and Exmouth there is "A la ronde".
...Quirky 18th-century house with fascinating interior decoration and collections...
There are a lot of quaint little things to explore.
Like most touristic places it is essential to keep that coastline neat, clean and spotless. Nature is not a disposal bin.
Some businesses are taking action before it is too late. Managing waste is definitely important as health and hygiene is a major factor when it comes to the well-being of people visiting and having fun on a sandy beach (unless you go to Budleigh Salterton where there are pebbles).
To recycle empty plastic bottles and other packaging purchased by various individuals, a process has to be in place to tackle the situation before it is an irreversible problem: Coastal UK offers business/residential skip hire in Exmouth and around Devon (http://www.coastaluk.co.uk/) to make sure that this beautiful place on earth remains pristine after the passage of 10, 100 or 1,000 people.
Recycling unwanted/used products is becoming a full time job. Until now, too many people didn't care about the environment and climate change. Thankfully, it is now on the cards and most of us are putting efforts to use bottle banks as well as dedicated containers for garden and households refuse.
This is just a start. There is a long way to go but...things are looking good as long as everyone is respecting the set rules.
Comments