Summertime

This year, an interesting phenomenon is overtaking Britain: many British are forsaking overseas holidays to spend them in Britain.

The Wall Street Journal reports:

Bookings to European destinations from the U.K. are falling. . . "People in the U.K. are trading down, and British resorts stand to benefit from that," said Bob Cotton, chief executive of the British Hospitality Association, an industry body. "The sinking pound makes the sector much more appealing for Europeans looking for a bargain."

Leading U.K. politicians are following suit. Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who usually holidays on Cape Cod in the U.S., will stay at home in the eastern English seaside town of Southwald this summer. Conservative opposition leader David Cameron, who also usually vacations abroad, is heading for Cornwall on England's southern coast.

Now, heading for sunny Greece or Tuscany for one's holiday has become downmarket. It's cool to stay in the UK away from the masses. It's environmentally friendly and frugal, especially in these tough economic times.

Goodbye St. Tropez, hello Skegness!

The problem is, it rains a lot in Britain (and it's cold too), which makes it difficult to enjoy the beach properly.

Boris Johnson, London's recently elected Mayor, has bucked the trend. In a commentary for the Daily Telegraph, Boris skewers politicians who think it is their duty to holiday close to home and says that he will go somewhere "as sunny and foreign as possible."

Boris says, "I am going to take a holiday abroad, and in my view it would be absurd, hypocritical and frankly inhumane to do anything else."

I'm with him!