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Lonely Planet Awards find holidaymakers let down by British hotels and trains

Thursday 19, August 2010

 

Lonely Planet Awards find holidaymakers let down by British hotels and trains

 

What British travellers really want from their holiday in the UK is better value accommodation. This is one of the findings of Lonely Planet’s first ever awards which have been created to discover the great British public’s top trip experiences, along with a few of the things that get under their skin.

 

When asked what would improve their holiday, the impact on their wallets seemed to be at the forefront of staycationers’ minds, with voters citing ‘cheaper train travel’ in second place, behind ‘better value accommodation’.

 

On the plus side, walking on Scotland’s wild beaches came top as the most under-rated British day out, pipping exploring the country’s cities, and Dorset’s Jurassic Coast, to the post. Lonely Planet’s Travel Editor Tom Hall said, “Days out in Britain don’t have to be traditional seaside jaunts or tours of stately homes. Brits are fast discovering some of the country’s lesser-known attractions and Scotland’s stunning beaches are, quite rightly, recognised as one of the best.”

 

The Lonely Planet Awards unearthed the experiences which make a trip truly unique, from food and culture, to journeys and activities. Each question in the survey came with a shortlist drawn up by a panel of Lonely Planet experts including Co-founder Tony Wheeler, Travel Editor Tom Hall and Lonely Planet Magazine Editor Peter Grunert.

 

The Lonely Planet Awards also found:

 

  • Aside from home, the place where people would most like to set down roots forever is New Zealand, closely followed by Australia.
  • If they won the lottery, the top choice of what to do would be to take a year out and travel the world in a yacht.
  • Visiting the Mayan temples at Tikal in Guatemala is considered the greatest historical experience, beating better known attractions such as the Taj Mahal and Egypt’s Pyramids.
  • If they could only eat one type of cuisine for the rest of their life travellers opted for Italian.
  • The greatest cultural experience is reggae by the beach on a warm night in Negril, Jamaica, which beat off competition from the opera in Italy and salsa dancing in Cuba.
  • Benidorm didn’t fare well, with respondents voting it number one in the category of ‘I wouldn’t go there if you paid me’.
  • Michael Palin came top as most desirable travel buddy, followed by Stephen Fry and Joanna Lumley.

 

Tom Hall said, “The results of the Lonely Planet Awards include some surprising winners, such as the Mayan temples at Tikal. The success of these lesser known attractions really highlights how worthwhile it is to venture away from some of the world’s best known places and sights and discover what else the world has to offer.”

 

Over 3500 people voted in the Lonely Planet Awards, created in association with adventure specialist Explore.  An overview of the categories and the results will be highlighted online at lonelyplanet.com/awards from 19th August, with full rundown of the results in the September issue of the Lonely Planet Magazine out 19 August.

 

 

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