AC 1.1 - Developing UK Tourism Destinations

Where a place is

The location of a tourism destination is essentially it’s geographical position.  Quite simply, where it is …

The location of a destination can be described by:

• Identifying how far it is from other towns and cities and areas
• Saying whether it is on the coast, near the coast or on a major river
• Using the points of the compass
• Saying how far it is from a motorway, main road or railway station
• Saying how long it takes to get there

The location of a destination can also be described by saying how long it takes to get there by different forms of transport.

So, how could you describe the location of Alton Towers?

‘Alton Towers is situated in the heart of the UK within the county of Staffordshire and near the cities of Manchester and Birmingham.  It takes about 3 hours to drive the 150 miles to Alton Towers from London or Cardiff; it’s about 50 miles south of Manchester.  The nearest railway station is at Uttoxeter, and a 40-minute bus ride away.  It’s about 30 miles from Junction 23 of the M1 and about the same distance from Junction 15 of the M6.

Activity 1

See if you can identify the names of famous seaside destinations in the UK from the descriptions of their locations below.  You might need to use an atlas of the UK or an online map to help you.

• This destination is about 55 miles south of Central London, and it reached by the M23/A23.  It is on the south coast of England.  The town of Eastbourne is to the east and Worthing is to the west.
• This destination is on the north-west coast of England.  It is south of Lancaster and about 50 miles north of Manchester.  It is linked to the M6 by the M55.
• This destination is about 60 miles west of Liverpool by road, and the main access route is the A55.  It is on the coast of North.
• This destination is about 100 miles south-west of London.  It is reached by the M3 and has a major railway station.  It lies to the west of the New Forest National Park.
• This island destination lies off the south coast of England and is reached by ferry from Portsmouth.  It is to the south of Southampton.
• This destination is on the east coast of Yorkshire.  It is about 70 miles to the north east of Leeds and is located just to the south of the Yorkshire Dales National Park.
• This destination is found on the west coast of Wales in Cardigan bay.  It takes about two and a half hours to drive the 100 miles or so from Cardiff.