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UK fame factors

Here’s what to do across Great Britain - according to popular Instagram hashtags

Published: 26th July 2021

Picture perfect destinations for your next coach holiday getaway

Here at National Express, we believe a coach holiday can do the mind and body wonders. That’s why we want to give you inspiration for future getaways - in locations across our full UK-wide network.

Ready to leave London? Taste the sea air on the coast for a few days. Need a break from Manchester? Consider heading up to Scotland and enjoying the cultural experiences on offer.

In the map below, you’ll find surprising attractions in locations across Great Britain – all taken from trending Instagram hashtags. What’s more, we’ve got art lovers, foodies and outdoors people covered in our article, which matches popular pastimes to the perfect location(s).

Happy travels!

Most common posts

Take a deeper dive into some of the most common Instagram posts by trend...

Food

Glasgow - 307,000 hashtags

The city-wide food crown is well and truly owned by Glasgow! Posts on food there are 22% higher than anywhere else.

Dorset - 53,600 hashtags

Looking at county-wide posts, Dorset surprisingly takes home the trophy! Must be all the sea air!

Photography

Manchester - 98,700 hashtags

The shots coming out of these places are worlds apart but they are both clearly very popular!

Cornwall - 31,000 hashtags

City-wise, Manchester dominates while Cornwall leads the way for the counties.

Bloggers

Manchester - 137,000 hashtags

Bloggers are massively popular in Manchester making it the place to be if you're looking for tips.

Norfolk - 34,000 hashtags

Surprisingly Norfolk is the most popular county for bloggers - they're busy showing off country life living to the masses!

Florists

Bristol - 24,400 hashtags

We expect art to come out of Bristol but florist are clearly just as popular, with nearly 25,000 social posts on the topic.

Essex - 38,400 hashtags

Pitting even Bristol to the post, Essex is leading with way as the most popular county for florists! If you love a beautiful bouquet, visit Essex today!

Art

Bristol - 96,700

A standout favourite, Bristol maintains its title as the art hub of the UK proven by the near 100,000 social posts from the location.

Devon - 22,200

With its scenic popularity, it's no surprise art in the Devon region is well posted about too, a must-visit location for all art lovers.

Foodies need to head north

Calling all foodies – Glasgow is for you. Instagram is heaving under the weight of artisan food, homemade pasta and rustic wood-fired pizza in Scotland’s biggest city.

In fact, we came across 300,000 posts with the hashtags “food” or “foodie” in Glasgow – 22% more than anywhere else.

Look forward to hundreds of great cafes and restaurants on your visit.

Art is in Bristol's DNA

Soak up the culture in Bristol – a place that’s famed on Instagram for its art scene.

The city is home to a number of art galleries, as well as the street art of the mysterious counter-culture figure Banksy, whose identity is unknown. Consider going on a walking tour to see some of his famous works, such as Mild Mild West, The Grim Reaper and The Girl with the Pierced Eardrum.

Manchester and photography click

What springs to mind at the mention of Manchester? The music scene, the football team and…photography? Yes, “photography” is a high-ranking hashtag in this city, with nearly 100,000 posts showcasing architecture and urban landscapes in the main.

But an even more popular term? “Blogging”, with 137,000 posts depicting outfit inspo, Insta-worthy food and selfies.

Perhaps Manchester's reputation as the heart of the Northern Powerhouse is the reason for its popularity with freelancers and creatives.

Looking for homely pursuits? Consider Birmingham, Staffordshire and Cambridgeshire

Baking was on the rise and during the lockdown, as yeast, flour and sugar were scarce commodities on supermarket shelves. Brummies definitely enjoyed making homemade scones, cakes, and bread with the most posts using #Baking.

Pottery remains popular in Staffordshire, a county famed for its fired clay ornaments. The practice originated in the 17th century when an abundance of pottery factories were built in the area.

Today, more than 12,000 people have posted pottery pictures to Instagram, capturing snaps of their antique vases, intricate pots and ceramic bowls - and sharing them with pride.

Cambridgeshire appears to be popular for handmade items. The Instagram posts in this region predominantly feature delicate ornaments, intricate jewellery and souvenirs - so take a coach holiday to Cambridge or Staffordshire if trinkets are your thing.

Looking for the great outdoors? Think Yorkshire, South Wales or Suffolk

Yorkshire is well known for its tea, but did you know that its “coast” is trending too? Book a coach holiday to this historic county and grab pictures of the scenic seaside. There are roughly 100,000 photos of this attraction alone!

Similarly, residents and visitors to South Wales are enjoying walks along the “coast path” and sharing their photos – almost 60,000 of them – to Instagram.

In Suffolk, there’s an abundance of pictures depicting the “sky” - people here are photographing vivid sunsets, starry nights, and cloud formations.

Data source: Instagram February 2021. Data set.