Kathleen, another recent visitor, observed: “Brits and Americans take different approaches to weather. If it is raining, a Londoner will go out in long sleeves and a raincoat, even on a warm day. Often with black tights. Conversely, if the sun shines on a bright, cold January day, you’ll see people in tank tops, exclaiming how hot it is.”
Americans love visiting Britain. In 2018, almost 4 million of them came, spending a whopping £3.4 billion, making them our keenest fans, followed by French and Germans. In 2022, that rose to 4.6 million. Cliché and marketing campaigns suggest that prime among the lures to Britain are castles, English country gardens, literary trails, Scotland (for heritage), Wales (ditto), Harry Potter, the Royal Family, and a sense that this is Europe-lite: the olde worlde in a (mostly) recognisable language.
Navigating the pub
Most Americans think they want to visit the pub, but often end up disappointed by poor quality food and a lack of good beer on tap. “The food was unforgivably bland, and they were out of half of the menu items,” Donna and Fred complained after a recent trip to a popular Kensington boozer. “And the beer, mainly craft, was in bottles or cans – nothing like the pubs we used to visit.”
(Insider tip: there are many truly outstanding pubs that serve cracking food in Britain, but you need to do some research. In London, they include: south, The Canton Arms; north, The Bull and Last; east, The Scolt Head; west, The Cow).
Source link : https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/united-kingdom/britain-through-the-eyes-of-american-tourists/
Author :
Publish date : 2023-09-15 03:00:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.