Tourist Britain: Blending Tradition and Modernity

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To tourists, Britain presents itself as full of tradition and pride in history. People from outside Britain believe it to be a land of red telephone booths, guards in fuzzy hats, tartan-clad bagpipe players, and double-decker buses. People imagine a strict adherence to tradition: pausing for afternoon tea, always stopping for a good lunch of fish and chips, and declaring “God save the Queen!” However, tourist Britain is not all tradition. Modern technology, ideas, and innovation have percolated into Britain, surprising tourists, and resulting in a mostly successful balance of tradition and modernity. Though modernity has blended into the traditions of Britain, some fixtures of pure tradition have no hints of modernity. These traditional objects or events serve no purpose but to attract tourists and perpetuate the tourist industries. One example is the hot, iconic red telephone booth with the rounded roof. Designed in 1924 by Giles Gilbert Scott and revamped in 1935, the booths once served as an integral part of communications (The Telephone Box). Today, in the age of e-mail, Facebook, and texting, the telephone booths have lost their purpose. The 11,000 remaining booths mainly serve as tourist photo opportunities. However, without them, tourist Britain would take a hit. Tourism in Britain is incredibly important, making up “around 10% of the UK economy” (Britain's Tourist Industry). The result is a £127 billion industry that “employs 3 million people” (Britain's Tourist Industry). The massive industry is only expected to grow, contributing to a doubling in the value of the industry and adding “£12 billion a year by 2025” to the economy (Tourism to Bring £257bn to UK Economy). The traditional aspects of Britain, like the round-... ... middle of paper ... ...oyaleventsandceremonies/changingtheguard/overview.aspx>. Coltman, Richard. "The Telephone Box." The Telephone Box. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Feb. 2014. . Gordon, Sarah. "Tourism to Bring £257bn to UK Economy." Mail Online. Associated Newspapers, 22 Nov. 2013. Web. 22 Feb. 2014. . "How We Market Britain." VisitBritain. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2014. . "James Bond and The Queen London 2012 Performance." YouTube. Olympics, 27 July 2012. Web. 22 Feb. 2014. . "Scotland's Contemporary Architecture." VisitScotland. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2014. .

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