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Tourists are flocking to Britain for the bad weather – yes, really

Wait, you came here on purpose?

Written by
Henrietta Taylor
Contributing writer
Rainy beach in the UK with a union jack umbrella
Photograph: Shutterstock
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The weather in the UK has been the pits for a while now – and, quite rightly, Brits are livid. Where on Earth did our summer go? But while we’re shaking our fists at clouds, tourists from abroad are intentionally flooding in precisely because of our rubbish weather.

That’s right: people seem to actually want our crummy weather. According to the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions, the UK has seen a boom in visitors from Spain, Italy, Greece and Turkey this summer. 

Looking across the Channel, it isn’t hard to guess why travellers from the Continent are after chillier climes. Unprecedented levels of heat and raging wildfires across Europe have led to people yearning for damper, greyer, chillier weather. And the UK, as we all know, is perfect for all that right now. 

It’s worth noting, however, that this isn’t quite a summer-saving tourist boom. Us cheesed-off Brits could apparently be putting off holidays to the seaside, thereby spelling trouble for hospitality and hotels in coastal areas. Fiona McArthur of the Bournemouth Coastal Business Improvement District said that some hotels are down 12 percent on their usual booking levels. 

Brits, if you’re stuck here for the rest of season, fear not. Forecasts suggest there should be warmer and drier conditions in the second half the month. Summer’s not over just yet. 

Did you see that these are the UK’s cheapest camping spots?

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