The seaside holiday and the seaside resort are two of England s greatest exports to the world. Since the early 18th century, when some of the wealthiest people first sought improved health by bathing in saltwater, the lure of the sea has been a fundamental part of the British way of life, and millions of people still head to the coast each year. Margate has an important place in the story of seaside holidays. It vies with Scarborough, Whitby and Brighton for the title of England s first seaside resort, and it was the first to offer sea-water baths to visitors. Margate can also claim other...

Blackpool is Britain s favourite seaside resort. Each year millions of visitors come to walk on its three piers, ride donkeys, enjoy shows at the Winter Gardens, scream on the thrilling rides at the Pleasure Beach and ride the lift to the top of the Tower. Generations of holidaymakers have stayed in its hotels, lodging houses and bed and breakfasts and all have succumbed to its delectable fish and chips. Two centuries of tourism has left behind a rich heritage, but Blackpool has also inherited a legacy of social and economic problems, as well as the need for comprehensive new sea defences to...

A week on a beach, a day at a spa, a hike in the hills -- tourism is taken for granted today, but over the past 500 years, it has played a significant role in the shaping of modern Britain. Tourism and the Changing Face of Britain traces the story of tourism in Britain from the Middle Ages to the present day.

Two centuries ago Weston-super-Mare was a small, rarely visited village but its location alongside the Severn Estuary soon made it a convenient bathing place for the wealthy inhabitants of Bristol and Bath.