Big Ben named the ‘selfie’ capital of the UK
A selfie map of the UK has emerged from new research into the travelling habits of social media-driven modern Brits, with Big Ben revealed as the number one selfie spot in the country.
The study* reveals the nation’s favourite travel snap locations according to young Brits, with The Shard coming second, and Glastonbury Festival taking third place.
The capital dominates the list, with Buckingham Palace and Tower Bridge also featuring in the top five, but iconic locations across the country make the cut too, with Stonehenge, the White Cliffs of Dover, the Angel of the North and Manchester United’s football ground Old Trafford also on the list.
Top Selfie Spots in the UK
- Big Ben 11%
- The Shard 9%
- Glastonbury Festival 8%
- Buckingham Palace 6%
- Tower Bridge 5%
- Lavender Fields 5%
- Stonehenge 4%
- Old Trafford 3%
- White Cliffs of Dover 3%
- Ben Nevis 3%
- The Angel of The North 3%
- St Paul’s Cathedral 2%
- Arthur’s Seat 2%
- Piccadilly Circus 2%
- Land’s End 2%
- Blenheim Palace 1%
- The Gherkin 1%
- Clifton Suspension Bridge 1%
- Abbey Road Crossing 1%
- Baltic Crossing, Jamaica Street 1%
- Portmerion, Wales 1%
Portmerion in Wales
The research of 16 to 25-year-old Brits, undertaken by National Rail for 16-25 Railcard, revealed the lengths this age group will go to for the perfect selfie – each travelling on average 153 miles per month for leisure, spending nine hours on trains, five on planes, and seven hours sharing lifts with friends.
In fact, 29 per cent of generation Z admit that travel is the area of their life they are most competitive about, with four out of five experiencing ‘FOMO’ (fear of missing out) on a regular basis.
And 18 per cent of those polled confessed to booking a holiday or break based entirely on how “Instagrammable” the destination is.
Jyoti Bird, marketing director at National Rail, said: “It’s clear that young people spend a lot of time crafting the perfect photos of exciting places, and our research shows just how important it is for their chosen travel destinations to look amazing on their social media feeds.
“From iconic landmarks and beautiful buildings, to historical points of interest and tourist attractions, Great Britain has some fantastic destinations to explore, and our findings reveal the best selfie spots in the country for capturing these moments on social media to share with friends and family.
The Angel of the North
“We’ve used the nation’s favourite selfie spots to create an Insta-Rail map of Great Britain and are now encouraging young Brits to share their best Instagram snaps to complete the map and be in with a chance of winning £1,000 to help them keep exploring. We look forward to seeing some really beautiful and creative photography from social media enthusiasts across the country.”
The research shows that on average young people will post 12 pictures online every week. But they’ll take more shots than they post, with 32 pictures snapped for every single one posted on Instagram, and 80 per cent admit they will use any filters or tricks to try and make themselves look better.
* The research was commissioned online in August 2018 by Ginger Research and comprised of 1,500 Brits age 16-25.
