Britain's' gardens are currently at their peak bloom, and with the sunny weather projected to continue, the national tourism agency has released research that shows that approximately $11.7 billion was spent by tourists enjoying the view of the gardens in the U.K., with a large amount coming from younger visitors, according to BreakingTravelNews.com.
The study was conducted by VisitBritain, and found that approximately 31 million people visit Britain each year, and around one third of them enjoy a park or garden during their visit, with about 2.4 million of them between the ages of 25-34 and 1.4 million between the ages of 55-64.
Visitors under 35 were more likely to visit a park or garden, with 41 percent of visitors doing so compared to 33 percent of visitors over age 35.
This research shows that going to a park or garden is one of the most popular activities for tourists, which makes sense, as Britain is famous for its English gardens.
Behind visiting gardens, the next most popular activities were eating out, going to pubs and shopping. This demonstrates that tourists are more likely to visit a park or garden than an historical site like a museum, castle, historic house or art gallery.
The most popular time to visit the gardens is, unsurprisingly, in the summer, with the time period of July through September accounting for four million of the annual total of visitors.
London has just celebrated the 100-year anniversary of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show and is the home to eight Royal Parks and the globally renowned UNESCO World Heritage Site of Kew Gardens.
"It's hugely encouraging to see our gardens are as popular with the younger generation as they are with 55-plus age groups," Sandie Dawe, the chief executive of VisitBritain, said. "We've completed three big pieces of research which all indicate that our parks, gardens and natural beauty are a valuable tourism asset, admired across the world and enjoyed by our visitors.
"Post-Games perceptions of Britain have shifted for the better and time spent in any of our glorious parks is something to be cherished, especially when the sun is out," Dawe finished.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
