Dear LPG,

I admit to being a bit of a Googler and for some reason, I find myself looking at the many sets of statistics that can be found on line more than anything else.  For want of something else to do one morning not so long ago, and having listened to what the news had to say about the hardships that the travel industry was experiencing, I got my tablet from under my pillow and started surfing.

I love to look at statistics and, though they all pertain to at least a year ago, I found a list of the top ten activities of most holiday-makers.  I am glad to say that sunbathing is not at the number one spot anymore.  It has apparently been knocked off by sightseeing and eating out but, that still leaves the Sun worshipers in third place in that top ten as they get away primarily to get browner and aim to find some reliably good weather so that they can relax and do little else. 

I also had a look at the most popular tourist attractions and found that our own Stonehenge is up there with the best, taking the number 8 most popular slot although there are always differing sets of information on the internet.

Did you know that, according to the online statistics I found, the most visited city in the world has been Bangkok for the past four years but, with Paris coming in second, we in London are third on the list. 

But for most of those who never miss their holiday, this year may well prove the exception because, even now that restrictions are being relaxed, the thought of having to come back to two weeks’ quarantine will definitely put people off.

I am one who does not particularly like to travel.  I get up quite early every morning and find something really peaceful about just taking a look out of my window to see the quite, natural, undisturbed scene that greets me, these days, and that is quite enough for me.

I have no doubt that next year’s statistics will be truly topsy-turvy due to 2020’s half a year where people were made to give up leaving their homes let alone leaving the country.

NC, Forest Hill

NC asked LPG to share  the statistics she used when doing her research for this piece…

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