DARTMOOR has been voted the top holiday destination in the UK by viewers of the BBC?s popular Holiday programme, beating off stiff competition from the Lake District, London and Jersey. Tourism bosses are celebrating Dartmoor?s number one status after the top ten UK holiday spots were featured on the programme on Sunday. Chairman of Dartmoor Tourist Association Philip Davies said it came as no surprise to him: ?Dartmoor is genuinely the loveliest place in Britain and that is the reason it is the most popular destination of holidaymakers ? it is a magical place at any time of the year, even when it is winter and it is raining. ?I have lived here for 24 years and cannot think of anywhere else I would rather be. I cannot understand why people holiday abroad when they have such wonderful places like this in the UK. ?We are lucky enough to live and work on Dartmoor and our job, as a tourist association, is to help everyone to share in our good fortune, even if it is just for one day or a week.? Mr Davies said the profile of the moor would be increased significantly as a result of this national television exposure. The programme highlighted Tavistock with its excellent pannier market and wealth of independent shops, the picturesque Dartmoor landscapes, including Widecombe-in-the-Moor, Dartmoor as it was described in literature such as the Hound of the Baskervilles, and quality accommodation like that at Bovey Castle. Head of recreation and tourism at Dartmoor National Park Authority Alison Kohler said Dartmoor deserved to be at the top. ?This truly amazing landscape supports some of the best archaeology in Europe, an abundance of wildlife and a distinctive cultural heritage that still lives on in this living and working landscape,? she said. ?Millions of visits are made to this special place every year to walk, cycle, horse ride or simply watch the world go by. ?It is a fragile landscape, but if we all continue to enjoy and look after Dartmoor I am sure it will remain one of the top UK destinations for many years to come.? West Devon Borough Council?s chairman of environment and community Nick Morgan said it was fantastic news. He sincerely hoped it would bring in more business. Dartmoor was also featured in a national newspaper on Sunday with MP Ann Widdecombe describing walking on the moor as ?her perfect weekend? ? a regular remedy for recuperation from her busy life at Westminster. Leading explorer ?Polar? Pen Hadow was also extolling the virtues of Dartmoor for walkers in the first episode of a series called ?The West We Like Best? shown last Sunday on Westcountry. l Delegates from around the world have been welcomed to Dartmoor this week for the second International Convention of the Dartmoor Pony Society. The event, last held in 1995, is to celebrate the many attributes of the ponies and to visit their moorland home where they have roamed for thousands of years. Around 130 delegates from the USA, Australia, Sweden, Holland, France, Germany, Austria, Denmark, Norway and the UK are attending the convention. The future of the Dartmoor Pony looks bright with overseas interest in the breed greater than ever. The Dartmoor Pony Society?s registrations are averaging 200 ponies a year and membership is on the increase.
