British Tourism Survey

Researchers for VisitBritain, the body responsible for promoting British tourism, asked 26,000 people in 26 countries to score Britain as a holiday destination. In particular, they were asked if they wanted to visit Buckingham Palace...

Among the most resistant to Britain's charms were the Americans and Canadians, 50 per cent of whom said they would never visit even if they could afford it...

Many still regard British food as the worst in the world. Indians said they wanted to see a full English breakfast, but not necessarily to eat it, while the French said "trying local food and drink is not one of Britain's strengths"... [Clearly the French have picked up the British fondness for understatement]

Youngsters in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia "seemed to be stuck in a 1980s time warp focused on the Royal Family, Harrods and almost exclusively on London" when it came to their ideas about Britain...

Well, this American would love to visit, but then English history and culture is a fascination of mine. I'd even be willing to eat the food. Now, if you all could just learn to spell...
Whole Article

Al Ain in the Guardian

The Guardian travel section had a short article on Al Ain (which does translate as "the eye" but I think most often gets translated as "the spring" or "the source"). Not really any info if you live here, but I thought that it is interesting that Al Ain is beginning to get more press in the West as a tourist destination.