Tourism industry votes to put Britain`s attractions on UK coins
Representatives from the UK`s visitor attractions are in London this week to discuss ways forward for tourist attractions in this country. Presentations during the second annual
Visitor Attractions Conference (12 October 2005) explore how their people, performance and profitability can be improved to maintain Britain`s competitiveness with rival destinations.
Delegates at the conference will also vote to select a series of attractions, which could appear on UK coinage. Organisers of the national conference for visitor attractions will submit images of six attractions to the Royal Mint`s open competition to find new designs for the reverse of six UK coins - from the penny to the fifty pence.
Ken Robinson, chairman of the Visitor Attractions Forum, said:
Coins are more than just a means of purchasing. Designs featured on their faces are symbols of the nation - as are many of the UK`s attractions. If we can put their images on coins that millions of people see and use every day, it will be a constant reminder to visitors and British residents alike of our unique attractions, every time they spend money here.
Delegates can vote for any attraction throughout the country, but a list of 14 suggestions has been compiled:
- BA London Eye
- British Museum
- Castle Howard
- Conwy Castle
- Eden Project
- Edinburgh Castle
- Giant`s
- Causeway
- Ironbridge Gorge
- S.S. Great Britain
- St Paul`s Cathedral
- Stonehenge
- Tate Modern
- The Big One, Blackpool
- Tower of London
Ken Robinson added:
The list represents the great variety of different attractions that visitors can experience in Britain but will also be instantly recognisable when illustrated on the back of a coin.
The thousands of attractions throughout the UK - from country parks, farms, theme and wildlife parks to historic properties, gardens, and museums and art galleries - represent the backbone of the UK`s
Theodore Koumelis
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Thursday, October 13, 2005