Today Is...World Tourism Day

By now we are all planning and counting down to our next get-away and last year over a billion people travelled to another country, generating £1.4 trillion for the tourist industry with the most people coming to Europe with 563 million tourists filling the continent with France the number one destination with 83 million international tourists followed by Spain and then Italy. The United Kingdom entertained 29 million, the sixth most popular destination in Europe. 
The second most popular destination was Asia and 248 million tourists with China taking top spot with 57 million tourists and then the Americas taking 168 million and United States with 66 million tourists turning up at their shores, two thirds more than the next most popular destination Mexico.
With 56 million people holidaying in Africa, Morocco is the top destination in that continent, and 52m in the Middle East with Saudi Arabia that regions top draw, that is a lot of people moving around.
Due to the economic situation many people may decide to stay at home this year so while Britain may not have the climate of the Mediterranean or the sights of Paris or Rome, we do have some brilliantly named places to visit where you can see grinning tourists doing the double thumbs up at the town signs.
There is always a queue for putting the thumbs up in Twatt in Scotland but just south of the border in Cumbria, you won't be twiddling your thumbs in Cock Play or Cockermouth.
Across the pennines in the North East you are assured of a warm welcome in Wetwang and if you head south you will find Rimswell.
No trip around the Midlands is complete without stopping to take in the small but beautiful Bell End while Gloucestershire hosts the beautifully untouched and natural Lower Swell. 
Across the border in Wales stands the impressive Three Cocks or you may decide to go across country to Essex and Fingrinhoe which is a designated conservation area with plenty of birds to watch at your leisure.  
No trip along the South Coast is complete without stopping to have a look inside Thong before carrying on to Shitterton with a pause at Lickfold for refreshments.    
Maybe your ideal trip is across the Irish Sea in the Emerald Isles and your first stop of Hackballscross before carrying on to the North Irish coast where hidden away is Muff, the wild, overgrown pastures of Lousybush, the never closed Fannystown and no tour of Ireland is complete if you don't end your tour in Cum.
Really, who needs abroad when we have such delights at home.