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As a fellow Brit I am endlessly confounded when I talk to foreign people (no offences), particularly Americans, who say they'd love to come swing by for a week or two and enjoy what we have to offer.

...Urm hang on a minute Why here? I've been to Florida twice (probably the "nice side") and it was gorgeous - lovely weather, great food, decent scenery, awesome holiday. My dad's been about and he said it's quite nice in other states. So what makes Britain any better? Food is not as great, the people aren't exactly pleasent (don't lie to yourself), it's rather dreary and wet and there's not alot to do overall besides sight-seeing. You could easily do that in other countries - Russia, Japan, China, heck most countries but not here

So c'mon Internetz, why would you want to come visit Britain?

You don't vacation in the place that you live and a lot of people want to vacation to england because of similar cultural values, lack of language barrier, good rates, and access to the rest of europe.

I think the real question is why you think people would want to vacation in russia.

ShumaGorath wrote:I think the real question is why you think people would want to vacation in russia.

People come to Russia for the ideology, and stay for the gulags.

Because women with British accents are HOT!

The history of Europe. Many of us have some form of ancestral tie there and feel it might be interesting to see the land where we can lay claim to as a bloodline.

Kanluwen wrote:The history of Europe.

I thought we were talking about Britain.

Ahtman wrote:

Kanluwen wrote:The history of Europe.

I thought we were talking about Britain.

Well, we have invaded/fought most of Europe at one time or another, so I guess you could say that our history is the history of Europe

Ahtman wrote:

Kanluwen wrote:The history of Europe.

I thought we were talking about Britain.

We are. Britain is commonly used by many tourists as a jumping off point for a trip of Europe.

Kanluwen wrote:

Ahtman wrote:

Kanluwen wrote:The history of Europe.

I thought we were talking about Britain.

We are. Britain is commonly used by many tourists as a jumping off point for a trip of Europe.

So Britain is now a diving board?

What parts of the UK make up the rest of the diving board?

Kanluwen wrote:We are. Britain is commonly used by many tourists as a jumping off point for a trip of Europe.

They just use us for our duty free

I wasen't aware that Americans had an obsession with Britain over any other country? I've moved around alot in my life as well as having the fortune of visiting a number of other countries as well as meeting people from other countries and I think it's simply a interest in a culture/society other then your own. I lived on Florida for 11 years (Brits are always easy to tell apart down then because you're all bright red ) so to me it isn't that big a deal but to someone not from there it would be great. I have a friend who lives in Melbourne, Australia that I met when she was an exchange student here. I went down to visit her awhile back and thought it was one of the coolest places I've ever been while to her it was same old same old.

Nice music, getting a chance to hit the Manchester pub scene just for the music would be great, but France is nicer.

Fafnir wrote:Nice music, getting a chance to hit the Manchester pub scene just for the music would be great, but France is nicer.

Britain is nice. Lots of historic stuff. Good access to quality beer and whisky (and whiskey). Girls with cute accents.

And most importantly to American tourists, we speak the same language as you guys. This makes it MUCH more accessible and less frightening to our largely-monoglot populace.

Girls with cute accents? Ever been near a Manc pub on a Friday/Saturday night? It's unintelligable garbage with each word emphasised by a fresh spew of vomit whilst their mates old onto the ends of their skirts (you could almost call them belts, I swear they get shorter every day) and revealing tops to stop themselves falling over.

I'm surprised you can even hear the accent through all of that, nevermind think it's cute.

Yeah... Don't go up north if you expect the english to have cute accents.

Don't go to the west country either for that matter, or anywhere near london.

Fafnir wrote:... but France is nicer.

Yes.

Just don't come here Go to Ireland or something, their accents are much better.

Slarg232 wrote:Because women with British accents are HOT!

Amen to that.

And as far as an "obsession" with Britain goes, it all leads back to America's cultural roots. Britain is often seen by Americans as a predecessor, and therein creates a sort of cultural bond between the two.
Coupled with a common language and, (now don't be offended here), way of lifestyle, the similarity between the two nations have kept them together in almost every war since America's secession, and, as a result, the two have become the closest of Allies. Many Americans find this endearing.

Not to mention we're jealous of the accent.

Avatar 720 wrote:Just don't come here Go to Ireland or something, their accents are much better.

That depends on where you go in Ireland though, I have family there and my Grandma dosen't even speak english (she can but she chooses not to because she likes to makes things tough for people ) she speaks Irish Gaelic. And I was in London before I went to Spain to see more family and thought it was fine though I did see the forementioned drunk girl or one close enough to it haha. And personally I liked Britain better then France when comparing the 2

Avatar 720 wrote:Girls with cute accents? Ever been near a Manc pub on a Friday/Saturday night? It's unintelligable garbage with each word emphasised by a fresh spew of vomit whilst their mates old onto the ends of their skirts (you could almost call them belts, I swear they get shorter every day) and revealing tops to stop themselves falling over.

I'm surprised you can even hear the accent through all of that, nevermind think it's cute.

I didn't say that ALL your girls have cute accents. But many of them do.

And even crappy cockney and mockney and Northern accents can be cute to an American ear; provided they're not accompanied by a spew of vomit. Many of us don't mind short shirts or revealing tops, either.

Our lass is American, she loves it here, I think Americans generally like the Brits as they see us as nice relatives.

She loves the lack of traffic, the pubs and the history!

She dislikes the anti American sentiment though, and it annoys me too. The amount of times we have met people out on the piss and ive said "This is Laura she is American" and they say "Ill tell you what pisses me off about Americans...."

Its actually upset her a few times (women eh? She's a sensitive one!) and it proper pisses me off, thankfully though its not that common, its just the beardy unwashed hippy types that loathe the whole country thanks to a couple of wars.

gak, thats the reason I love Americans!

I think it's a little presumptuous to say that they are 'fascinated' by us! Some of them just like coming on holiday. Cool. They're very welcome, as far as I'm concerned.

Don't we have a similar thing with the USA? A lot of Brits go there on holiday... I imagine it's the whole 'same-but-different' thing that brings Americans here.

Slarg232 wrote:Because women with British accents are HOT!

you obviously have not heard the Scouse accent then.

Yeah, you Brits seem nice and all, but if I'm going to spend a lot of money on a vacation South America is WAAAAY more fun.

Ayup mi duck, tha' thread's right gradely.

Manchester United.

And I had a girlfriend from Newcastle, and I agree about the accent

I hate going to the UK for most of the reasons in the OP. The only reason I go is that I've got friends there that tried to immigrate but were denied Visas.

Many people in America have English/Welsh/Scottish heritage too. Visiting these places and knowing the history and seeing the people can be insightful.

I have a strong Irish tradition in my family and I have always wanted to go to Ireland. Maybe not be as leisurely as Florida, but I have been to Florida many times and would like a change of scenery.

I am a Brit living in America. I like it. Many people I talk with (even in situations like the supermarket checkout, or getting on the metro) on hearing my accent will ask where I'm from, and tell me about family or holidays they've had around the UK. So I can agree with the suggestions that there's a sentiment of cultural/historical/personal relatedness.

Of course, it's possible that foreigners from other nations would get the same treatment, I don't know.