Manchester has been ranked as one of the most popular city break destinations in the UK, according to a recently-conducted survey.
Of course it has – Manchester is one of the greatest cities in the world, if you ask us.
Is it the city’s renowned sporting history? Booming nightclub scene? Or simply just its welcoming and easy-going locals that make it so attractive to visitors? Whichever way, Manchester is often confidently mentioned in lists of the country’s ‘must-visit’ cities among tourists.
In fact, it’s been crowned as the top city break destination in the North of England for 2020.
A recently-conducted survey by Manchester-based luxury aparthotel company CitySuites has seen our city beat out the likes of Liverpool and York for top spot in the North, but how popular is Manchester when compared with other attractive city break destinations in the UK, and even with the rest of Europe?
ADVERTISEMENT
Whilst London and Edinburgh have taken the top two spots in the UK, Manchester comes in at number three.
The most popular city break destinations in the UK (Based on searches made in the UK)
Using Google search data obtained from Keyword Finder tool, the top 10 list has been devised using a number of analyses based on the phrase ‘hotels in X’, with X being the most searched for cities across the UK, and the term ‘hotels in Manchester’ was reportedly searched for an average of 74,000 times each month.
ADVERTISEMENT
Other popular UK cities such as Dublin, Glasgow and Cardiff also featured in the top 10 list.
When it comes to the rest of Europe though, how will Manchester fair? Well, it’s not budging – it’s sitting firmly at that number three spot, having been searched on average of 74,900 times across the UK.
The most popular city break destinations in Europe (Based on searches made in the UK)
Surprisingly, or maybe not that surprisingly at all to us Mancs, the search term ‘Hotels in Manchester’ actually receives more searches in the UK each month than terms such as ‘Hotels in Amsterdam’ and ‘Hotels in Paris’, which could suggest that city breaks in Manchester are much more desirable amongst us Brits than those overseas at the moment.
ADVERTISEMENT
These search figures certainly align with the rise in staycations reported across the UK amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
For more information on top city breaks in 2020, you can visit the CitySuites website here.
Trending
Rio Ferdinand is stepping away from TNT Sports after more than a decade
Danny Jones
Manchester United legend and ex-England international Rio Ferdinand has announced he will be stepping away from TNT Sports, leaving more than a decade with the broadcaster.
Ferdinand has spent the best part of the last 10 years serving as a leading pundit and analyst, as well as hosting his own ‘Rio Meets’ online series – the interview format of which has been replicated on his YouTube channel.
However, after having been one of their main anchors both under the BT Sport and even more so since the inception of the rebranded TNT Sports Football umbrella, the 46-year-old has confirmed he has now quit their regular coverage following the Champions League final this weekend.
In a lengthy statement on social media, the ex-Man United defender, who also played for Leeds, West Ham, Bournemouth and QPR, described it as a “difficult decision.”
Taking time to thank the network for their “tremendous support” over the years, especially those “behind the scenes, whose work often goes unseen but has been essential to our success.”
The talented centre-back retired in May 2015 after more than 500 appearances and 81 national team caps, making an almost immediate switch into punditry and remaining a household name.
Rio has also remained a popular figure at Old Trafford and, indeed, across various parts of Manchester since leaving United in 2014.
For instance, his self-titled Foundation has carried out some truly transformational local outreach across various boroughs, as it has back in his home city of London.
Responding to the news, TNT Sports said nothing more than “Thanks for everything, Rio”; meanwhile, fellow former Red, Danny Simpson (who retired last year and also works as a pundit/presenter for MUTV) added: “You’re going to be missed, bro. Every time you’re on, you give us all the mad insight.”
However, he has promised he will remain in the media industry, continuing to work under the Rio Ferdinand Presents digital brand and pursuing “other business interests”.
With his ‘Rio Reacts’ and ‘Vibe with FIVE’ series regularly raking in millions of views, he might not be on the box during European nights but you’ll still be seeing plenty of him.
Rare bat-eared foxes have arrived at Chester Zoo for the first time in more than 30 years
Emily Sergeant
It’s time to say a big hello, as rare bat-eared foxes have now arrived at Chester Zoo.
The two sisters, named Maasai and Malindi, have been welcomed by conservationists after travelling more than 500 miles from a zoo in Paris, and they are the first mammals of their kind to come to Chester Zoo in more than 30 years.
First images show the pair exploring their home in the zoo’s new Heart of Africa habitat – which officially opened to the public back in March, and is the largest zoo development ever undertaken in the UK, spanning more than 22.5 acres in size.
The adorable – but rather unique-looking – bat-eared fox is named after its distinctive oversized ears and is native to the open savannahs and arid grasslands of eastern and southern Africa.
They live for around 13 years on average, and their characteristically large ears help regulate their body temperature and enhance their incredible hearing, allowing them to prey like detect insects moving underground.
The species faces increasing threats in the wild, largely due to the loss of their habitat caused by agriculture, human encroachment, and hunting.
This is why Chester Zoo has long been at the forefront of protecting African wildlife.
Its teams’ have been supporting everything from the safe translocation of northern giraffes to protected national parks in Uganda, to developing cutting-edge AI trail cameras to protect giant pangolins from illegal trafficking in recent years.
Bat-eared foxes have arrived at Chester Zoo for the first time in 30 years / Credit: Chester Zoo
“It’s incredibly exciting to welcome bat-eared foxes back to Chester Zoo after a 30-year hiatus,” commented David White, who is the Twilight Team Manager at Chester Zoo.
“Both Maasai and Malindi are settling in well so far, spending much of their time exploring their expansive home and getting to know their new housemates – a family of twelve Cape porcupines. These two species would often come across one another in the wild, so we’ve recreated this right here at Chester.
“In time, we hope to introduce one of the two sisters to a male fox, with the hope that we can contribute to the European conservation breeding programme, helping to ensure there’s a healthy, genetically diverse back-up population in human care.
Emily Sergeant -
27th July 2020 
