Blackpool's beach is better than Bondi, according to Brits
When it comes to choosing the best place for a beach holiday, Brits love the comfort of home over exotic sands as Blackpool has been named the world's top beach by UK holidaymakers (yes, really).
The British seaside resort beat off stiff competition from other UK and European destinations to rate as the best-loved beach for today's beach-goers and those who took beach holidays as children over the past 60 years.
See also: The UK's worst seaside resort, according to Brits
A Post Office Travel Services survey found that sunnier spots including Benidorm, Bondi and Miami don't compare to the sheer beach appeal of traditional seaside setting Blackpool, despite the growing popularity of overseas destinations.
Looking back to the most popular beaches for children in the 20th century, these were exclusively in the UK. Despite the rise of package holidays, only 12 per cent of the people surveyed named a foreign beach as their favourite. Instead it was traditional resorts like Scarborough, Skegness, Bournemouth, Great Yarmouth and Margate that brought back some of the happiest memories because of their extensive sandy stretches and sandcastle-building potential. The surfers' paradise of Newquay was also growing in popularity and fashionable Brighton was the South's most popular beach resort.
These days, 61 per cent of holidaymakers say overseas beaches are their favourites. Spanish resorts take up three of seven top 20 places held by beaches outside the UK – with Benidorm and Majorca getting the highest ratings.
Further afield, the Maldives, Sydney's Bondi Beach and Miami Beach also score heavily. However, 13 of the 20 best-rated beach are still UK ones. Aside from Blackpool, Brighton and Bournemouth remain firm favourites.
Would you choose a holiday in Blackpool over the Algarve, Tenerife or the Maldives? Leave a comment below.
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