Reader blames cost, not foot and mouth, for the tourism slump

i couldn't resist commenting on the bbc's talkback about the great easter holiday debate.

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So the government wants us to visit the British countryside over easter. Sorry, but it is not foot and mouth that is the problem with tourism in this country. It is the cost of everything. Hotels charging upwards of 40 pounds a night per person, restaurants charging 30 pounds for a very average 2 course meal, petrol the highest in Europe, expensive and dirty and irregular trains. Dirty countryside - why do people drive around throwing their rubbish out of their cars? I can have a nice 2 week holiday in sunny spain for the price of a long weekend in London. Get real Britain. Loss of tourism has nothing to do with foot and mouth, we are just overpriced and under quality.

----------------------- on the bbc talkback page they have the following:

Thank you for taking the time to send us your comments, they are now being read by our Talking Point editors.

> our political editors are checking for anti-government content.

The BBC will use as many of your comments as possible, but we cannot guarantee that all e-mails will be published.

>in your case, no chance chum.

The BBC reserves the right to edit comments that are published.

>the bbc will quote you out of context and pass your email to the government for political retraining.

-------------- by the way, did you know that the minister for tourism in scotland has decided to spend his easter hols in italy. someone with a bit of sense, i think i will vote for him next time.