PRESS RELEASE: Beach Check UK – National Coastal Tourism Academy
On this bumper summer for staycations, Beach Check UK – the innovative new app which allows visitors to check the status of a beach in order to avoid congested areas – encourages beach-goers to enjoy the coast responsibly this summer.
As the pressure mounts for everyone to do their bit to combat climate change, this summer is the perfect opportunity. If you’re taking a staycation there are plenty of ways to be a responsible visitor. First, ditch the car and let the train take the strain as you head to the beach – plenty of coastal resorts boast excellent rail connections. Second, support local communities by shopping and eating independently – many of the best cafés and restaurants source local provenance.
When you’re at the beach, dispose of litter correctly and enjoy non-polluting watersports such as paddle boarding, surfing or wind surfing. When you’re swimming, make sure a friend or family member is close by. And, of course, download the free Beach Check UK app to check before travelling how busy individual beaches are!
The free-to-use app is downloadable from Google Play and the Apple App store (with no in-app purchases necessary). It is simple to use, allowing you to check individual beaches and to see a map showing red (crowded), amber (less congested) and green (uncongested) beaches, as well as to see at a glance the ability for social distancing to be maintained, the number of car park spaces and which facilities are nearby.
Heritage Minehead, Somerset
One for the rail enthusiasts: Minehead is served by the longest standard gauge independent heritage railway in the UK, operating for 20 miles between Dunster and Bishops Lydeard, via Taunton, which is also served by regular services with GWR. Passengers currently travel by train to Dunster and on to Minehead by heritage buses. The beach and town have a range of activities, with Butlins and arcades at one end, a superb selection of excellent independent eateries and shops at the other, and it is directly at the start point of the 630-mile South West Coastal Path.
The Beach Check UK app is currently available at the following coastal locations: Hayling Island, Hampshire; Camber Sands and Bexhill Beach, East Sussex; Thanet (Margate, Broadstairs, Ramsgate); Westward Ho!, Devon; West Wittering, West Sussex; Worthing, Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole (BCP); and Minehead, Somerset. More locations are being added weekly.
The National Coastal Tourism Academy is supporting BCP Council in the roll out of their app and is encouraging resorts nationwide to adopt it.
For more information, visit England’s Coast website.
