• Port Isaac, Cornwall (home of TV programme Doc Martin) tops poll as Britain’s most beautiful TV location
• Half of British families reveal cutbacks on day trips and excursions this summer
This summer, almost half of British families (43%) say they will have to cut back on the number of day trips and excursions due to the higher cost of living. That’s the finding of new research by Freeview, which in response has launched its first-ever TV locations guide.
According to its findings, staycations are on the rise in the UK, with almost half of British families (43%) planning holidays at home this summer. However:
• One in four parents is currently unsure of how to entertain their kids this summer (25%)
• Half of Brits are looking for free/low cost alternatives for the summer days (51%)
• Quarter of families think British tourist attractions represent poor value for money (39%)
To add inspiration this summer, and help provide families with a range of, low-cost excursion alternatives, Freeview teamed up with travel writer and expert Jane Egginton. The result is a list of the top twenty TV locations across the UK which includes scenic location from favourites such as Dr. Who, Broadchurch, Gavin and Stacey and Downton Abbey.
Furthermore, research into British TV locations, revealed that a fifth of Brits voted Port Isaac, Cornwall, (home to Doc Martin) as the most beautiful TV location. And TOWIE was the voted the least favourite destination of them all with Minnies Boutique, Chigwell, Essex only attracting 3% of votes.
Top ten British TV locations
1. Port Isaac, Cornwall (Doc Martin) (20%)
2. Outer Hebrides, Scotland (An Island Parish) (15%)
3. Highclere Castle, Berkshire (Downton Abbey) (13%)
4. Cardiff, Wales (Doctor Who) (13%)
5. West Bay, Dorset (Broadchurch) (10%)
6. Aidensfield, North Yorkshire Moors (Heartbeat) (8%)
7. Holmfirth Yorkshire (Last of the Summer Wine) (7%)
8. Barry Island, Wales (Gavin & Stacey) (5%)
9. Box and Neston villages (Lark Rise to Candleford) (3%)
10. Minnie’s Boutique Chigwell, Essex (TOWIE) (3%)
According to Egginton “Brits should make the most of Britain this summer, save their pennies and visit some of our best-loved TV locations. TV tourism is great, it boosts our local economy, bringing in new jobs and breathing new life into all corners of Britain. So, to inspire people to visit the places on our list, Freeview has created an easy-to-follow online TV travel guide.”
Guy North, Marketing Communications Director at Freeview, commented “Many families are now choosing to stay in the UK for the summer and looking for inexpensive days out. As such, we wanted to provide inspiration from some of the most-watched programmes in the UK. Whether urban, suburban or rural, our guide has picked out the best British TV locations for a summer day out.”
See our Top Twenty British TV Locations Travel Guide for details on the best TV locations to visit this summer.
Notes:
Research conducted by Populus amongst 2,000 adults (18yrs +) from 22nd – 24th May 2013.
Freeview is a subscription-free TV service offering over 50 standard digital TV channels, radio stations and interactive services through an aerial with no monthly bills. Over 95% of the most watched programmes in the UK are available on Freeview . In addition, Freeview HD offers four free HD channels – BBC One HD, BBC2 HD, ITV1 HD and Channel4 HD.
Freeview is managed by DTV Services Ltd, a company owned and run by its five shareholders – BBC, BSkyB, Channel 4, ITV and Arqiva.