Skegness, a popular UK seaside destination in Lincolnshire, known for attracting around 4 million visitors annually, was once unfavourably compared to North Korea and Syria by the travel website Destination Tips.
In a controversial 2017 ranking, the site included Skegness in its list of the top 10 worst holiday spots globally, referring to it as a “pile of dirt”.
The description read: “Once thought of as a quaint seaside town in northern England, Skegness is now a pile of dirt bordering the North Sea with a run-down amusement park idly resting on the land.”
This comparison sparked indignation from the then-mayor, Dick Edginton, who found the ranking “absolutely offensive”, reports the Express.
He defended the town’s reputation, highlighting the significant investment and confidence shown by both local and national businesses. Mr Edginton remarked: “There seems to be certain people who seem to do nothing but denigrate British seaside resorts.”
He further added: “Skegness is one of the best resorts in the country with the highest visitor numbers.”
On the comparison to North Korea, he said: “How anyone can compare Skegness to North Korea – one of the most oppressive regimes – is absolutely offensive. These comments should be held up to ridicule and contempt.”
Kyiv in Ukraine was named the worst place to visit, according to the list. Haiti’s Port-au-Prince came in second, with its ongoing gang violence making it one of the world’s most dangerous countries.
Damascus in Syria was next on the list, a city left in crisis after years of conflict since 2011. The full list of worst places to visit, as per Destination Tips, included: Kyiv, Ukraine; Port au Prince, Haiti; Damascus, Syria; Mogadishu, Somalia; Pyongyang, North Korea; Ciudad Juarez, Mexico; Bogota, Colombia; Dhaka, Bangladesh; Skegness, Lincolnshire; and Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.
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