19 May 2010
The UK’s official sunniest place is now the UK’s number one holiday-friendly destination as Eastbourne wins first place in a survey of the country’s places best suited for a staycation.
The south east resort of Eastbourne has polled at number one on the survey commissioned by Virgin Money Travel Insurance, beating one of the UK’s biggest cities Manchester who came in at second place.
With rival seaside resorts Bournemouth and Brighton coming in at sixth and seventh place respectively, Eastbourne has beaten destinations across the country to bag the prestigious title of the UK’s best holiday-friendly destination.
Eastbourne Borough Council Cabinet Member for Tourism, Cllr Neil Stanley said “This is absolutely fantastic news for Eastbourne! Named just last week as the UK’s sunniest place live on GMTV, Eastbourne has now been awarded the title of the country’s most holiday-friendly area.
“This brilliant accolade is testament to the hard work that goes into promoting Eastbourne as a top UK visitor destination, boasting award-winning beaches, the gateway to the brand new South Downs National Park, a wide accommodation portfolio, top attractions and not forgetting, our unique microclimate meaning Eastbourne offers the country’s best levels of sunshine. I hope we can look forward to welcoming thousands more visitors to Eastbourne over the coming months to experience this number one resort for themselves.”
Each holiday area was rated for average weather, hotel availability and cost, attraction availability and cost, restaurant availability and beach cleanliness.
Grant Bather of Virgin Money Travel Insurance said “Everyone’s idea of a great holiday is different and the UK has plenty of great places to visit. But this year it’s definitely Eastbourne for the all-round experience. For the classic seaside experience, Eastbourne wins hands down.”
With VisitBritain indicating that the staycation is set to continue in 2010 and with the resort winning top spot for a UK holiday and promising a packed programme of events coming up over the summer, Eastbourne finds itself well placed to benefit from increased numbers of UK visitors.
Plus with the volcanic ash cloud still causing problems, Eastbourne is using this to its advantage with hotels and guesthouses promoting special offers to entice visitors to the resort for a staycation in 2010.
Offering England’s only 5-star seaside hotel, the UK’s number one celebrity owned hotel, top rated attractions, an award-winning art gallery Towner, the country’s only fully operational Bandstand and one of the UK’s few remaining Victorian Piers, Eastbourne is a unique destination offering the best in seaside, culture, heritage and countryside experiences.
For more information on what to do in Eastbourne and where to stay visit the VisitEastbourne website or telephone 0871 663 0031.
