Coventry Cathedral (Photo: Herry Lawford/ Flickr)

Sent to Coventry? You’ll no longer be on your own

[dropcap]I[/dropcap]n a somewhat surprising turn, the city of Coventry has been ranked 10th in a report conducted by hotel chain Travelodge, looking into popular holiday destinations.

The poll was completed by British families choosing to have ‘staycations’ over the Easter break and Coventry reigned supreme over many traditional tourist hotspots.

Most popular in the poll were seaside destinations such as Blackpool and Cornwall, choices perhaps reflecting the changing spring weather, although undoubtedly tinged with optimism. City breaks also attracted many Brits with London and Bath both polling highly. Most strikingly, Coventry achieved a higher position than some high-profile locations.

The most traditional destinations beaten were: York, Bristol, Cambridge, the Peak District and Bournemouth.

Coventry, which earlier this academic year was named in higher education specialists QS’s ‘Top 50 Student Cities’, boasts a diverse range of attractions and activities. The city itself is famous for its medieval heritage and still contains all three of its Cathedrals used throughout the city’s existence. The ruins of the 14th century Gothic Cathedral bombed in World War II during the 1940 Coventry Blitz remains a popular sight of interest, as does its predecessor St Mary’s Priory, which was a site closely associated with Lady Godiva, although it is thought not to be her place of burial.

Aside from history, Coventry is a multi-cultural youthful hub which first year Politics and International Student Will Couzens pointed out: ‘The city has a thriving high street and a real buzz about it as you walk through’. Delving further, Couzens commented: ‘I am completely taken aback that Coventry has registered so highly in the poll, I suppose I have never really seen it as a tourist area.’

A struggle with national perception has long been seen as a major stumbling block for Coventry, often associated with the popular phrase being ‘sent to Coventry’, meaning to be ostracised or left out of the loop. At the time of writing Visit Coventry and Warwickshire’s Website was down, but online there is a vast array of attractions for a wide range of people.

According to TripAdvisor UK the most popular ‘things to do’ in Coventry are visiting the Coventry Music Museum, the Coventry Transport Museum, seeing a play at the Belgrade Theatre as well as engaging in horseback riding tours and trying your hand at flight simulators and Laser Quest.

Perhaps Coventry has been overlooked. A city that matches many others in the UK for attractions, whilst providing a quieter, individual experience for tourists choosing to go there. The city also benefits from a direct train link to London Euston offering journey times under an hour as well as being twenty minutes from England’s second city Birmingham.

Second year Graphic Design student Elliott Ayton Smith studies at Coventry University whilst also living in the city and when asked to comment on Coventry’s high ranking divulged, ‘From what I have seen and experienced of Coventry I would never recommend the city as a holiday destination to families. The city is lively and full of students however I haven’t seen any real attractions for family’s on holiday. The city is built up with a lot of offices, university buildings and student attraction such as pubs and clubs. As a student I live in the city and don’t venture out to outer Coventry to see what is on offer so there may be family attractions there.’

Tourism is at the heart of many cities economic success. Although not currently featuring in the top ten most visited cities per year, it is hoped this boost will lead to many more family visits, undoubtedly benefitting the city’s small business’ as well as providing its rich history with an audience.

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