It has to be hunky TV’s Ross Poldark with his shirt off who is sending holidaymakers to Cornwall in their droves.
The county is reaping the tourism benefits of the “Poldark effect” – the TV series which saw Aidan Turner play Captain Ross Poldark.
According to research for the Post Office Travel Insurance, Cornwall is the No1 destination for holidaymakers with two out of three people polled saying they were heading to England’s south-west.
Around 31.8 million people have decided to take a holiday in the UK this year. The Cornish peninsula tied with Scotland as the two most sought-after destinations. Wales was the third most popular but Cornwall’s near neighbour and close competitor Devon was behind in fourth place.
Only five per cent named the Isle of Wight and Hampshire as their 2015 holiday destination while a similar number said they are planning trips to Sussex or Brighton. By comparison, more people intend to visit the Lake District (12 per cent), Yorkshire (11 per cent) and the Peak District (6 per cent).
The Top 10 UK holiday destinations are
1= Cornwall
1= Scotland
3 Wales
4= Devon
4=Lake District/Cumbria
4=London
7 Yorkshire
8 Dorset
9 Norfolk
10 Peak District, Derbyshire
