The United Kingdom tourism industry

ensure that Britain can offer accommodation to suit every taste and every pocket. When it comes to eating and drinking the choice is, if anything, even wider. Britain's restaurants are now considered to be among the best in the world, and you can enjoy a drink anywhere from the most traditional of pubs to the most sophisticated of bars.

With its international airports and seaports, getting to Britain couldn't be easier. The country is situated within a couple of hours' flight of most European cities, and there are frequent, reliable links to a huge range of destinations further afield. Since the Channel Tunnel opened it has been even easier for drivers and rail passengers - travelling on Eurostar trains - to get to and from mainland Europe.

Millions of visitors from around the world come to Britain each year to enjoy its scenic countryside and coastlines and its wealth of historic towns, cities and buildings. Britain also plays host to a wide range of cultural, artistic and sporting events many of which, like the Edinburgh Festival and the Five Nations rugby tournament, are internationally renowned.

Britain has a great deal to offer visitors, and the tourism industry is a major asset to the country. The Government is keen to create an economic climate in which the industry can flourish. An important part of this is making sure that tourism in Britain has the high public profile it deserves. The Government-supported British Tourist Authority (BTA) promotes Britain overseas as a tourist destination, while the tourist boards for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland encourage the development of tourist facilities in Britain.

Visitors can place a great strain on an area's infrastructure. At the height of the season, places like the Lade District attract many cars and coaches filled with visitors. Problems of visitor numbers are by no means restricted to the natural environment. Historic towns such as Bath and Cambridge have also suffered as a direct result of the number of tourists.

Visitors are the lifeblood of Britain's tourism industry. It is crucial, though, to keep in mind the need to protect the very attractions that those visitors come to see. Environmental issues are at the top of the Government's agenda. And bodies like the Countryside Agency are building partnerships with farmers, landowners and local authorities to make sure that the countryside is there to be enjoyed not only now but in the future.

Conclusion

The British Isles consist of two large islands — Great Britain and Ireland — separated by the Irish Sea, and s a lot of small islands, the main of which are the Isle of Wight in the English Channel, Anglesea and the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea, the Hebrides — a group of islands off the north-western coast of Scotland, and two groups of islands lying to the north of Scotland: the Orkney Islands and the Shetland Islands.

Historically the territory of the United Kingdom is divided into four parts: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The total area of the United Kingdom is 244 square kilometres.

Literature

MacAndrew R. Window on Britain: Video Guide.-3rd impr.-Oxford:Oxford Univ. Press, 2007.

Nolasco R., Medgyes P. When in Britain:Intermediate.- 4th ed.-Oxford etc.:Oxford Univ. Press, 1994.

Sheerin S. et al. Spotlight on Britain/S. Sheerin, J. Seath, G. White. -7th ed.-Oxford etc.: Oxford Univ. Press, 1995.

Nolasco R., Medgyes P. When in Britain: Intermediate. - 6th ed.-Oxford:Oxford Univ. Press, 2005.