Hastings hailed as the new Hanoi
Believe it or not but Hastings is being hailed as the new Hanoi.
A recent article in a British Airways magazine has included Hastings on a list of the top 50 most authentic places on Earth.
The town has been placed alongside the likes of Paris, Venice, Vienna and the Vietnamese capital city Hanoi.
Now, despite a lack of obvious parallels, council tourism boss Kevin Boorman has excitedly dubbed Hastings the new Hanoi.
The vietnamese city is home to 6.2million people, compared to the 86,200 who live in Hastings and St Leonards. It also has average temperatures in November of a scorching 24 degrees - more than double the big freeze soon to engulf Hastings.
As far as tourist attractions go, Hanoi boasts a Grand Opera House, the Presidential Palace, the Vietnam National Museum of Fine Arts and a Contemporary Arts Centre.
Hastings on the other hand has an array of arcades, a lake with swan pedaloes, a shut pier and a broken East Hill Lift.
Mr Boorman has welcomed Hastings' inclusion in the list and is hopeful it could lead to an upturn in tourists - especially with the proposed new Jerwood Gallery set to make the town an even more attractive prospect for visitors.
The main criteria for inclusion in the top 50 was that the town or resort has remained part of a community and embraced its history.
Mark Jones, who compiled the list, said: "Fewer and fewer British people are going on holiday just to lie in the sun.
"Travel is evolving, meaning that people want to have experiences and mix with local people.
"Authentic tourism is growing in popularity because it's more inclusive, more liberating and maybe because it's more open to personal interpretation.
"An authentic tourist is one who is changed by a place and doesn't seek to change it."
The rules stated places would be disqualified if they faked their own history, had given up their own culture merely to make money or had over-packaged their natural attractions.
Mr Boorman said: "This is great news. So far from being the new Brighton, Hastings is now the new Hanoi."
A similar article last year labelled Hastings the new Notting Hill because of the success of the Jack-in-the-Green Festival while St Leonards has been hailed the new Hoxton because of its thriving arts scene.
Do agree with the tongue-in-cheek comments about Hastings being the new Hanoi? Or is Kevin Boorman living in Cloud Cuckoo Land? What do you love about Hastings? Leave your comments below.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for St Leonards-on-Sea
Monday 28 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 13 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: South west
Tomorrow
Light rain
Temperature: 10 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: East
