Birmingham tipped as must-see destination for 2012 It is rarely considered an obvious travel destination, either by tourists from overseas or weekenders in this country.But with 2012 promising a wave of visitors intent on enjoying the Olympics, Birmingham is being touted as an unlikely option for curious Americans.
Britain’s second biggest city has been selected as one of the must-see destinations for this year by the New York Times.
The influential US newspaper has placed the home of Cadburys and Aston Villa at number 19 in its ’45 Places To Go in 2012’ feature – a ranking that names it ahead of the likes of Jordan, Dubrovnik, Vienna and Antarctica.
At first glance, this seems an implausible scenario. Ask many people for their opinion of this Midlands metropolis, and they may well hark back to its grimy industrial past – as well as the pub-trivia titbit that it boasts more miles of canals than Venice (though none that quite match up to the beauty or rich Renaissance architecture of the Grand Canal).
But if Birmingham’s reputation still goes before it, this is an oversight that fails to acknowledge the city’s radical reinvention over the last 20 years.
Supporters of this often maligned city will point to the sleek outline of its Selfridges department store – a wildly futuristic structure, adorned with 15,000 sun-catching aluminum discs that brought a dramatic new presence to the skyline when it opened (to considerable fanfare) in 2003.
Other areas of the city might well be enough to impress the more intrepid American visitor. The creative hub of the Jewellery Quarter, just to the north of the centre, is a hive of independent artisans, while the modern Mailbox and Brindleyplace developments – alive with new bars, restaurants and hotels – are the 21st century face of the metropolis.
Birmingham is also increasingly noted for its cuisine, thanks not least to the fabled ‘Balti Triangle’ of curry houses, which serve up a noted array of Indian and Pakistani dishes – as well as a selection of gourmet options and even Michelin-star-listed eateries.
The local tourist authority is certainly bullish about the city’s charms.
‘Birmingham has worked hard to improve its reputation as a visitor destination in recent years, by showcasing, amongst other attributes, our fantastic and diverse food,’ says Neil Rami, Chief Executive of Marketing Birmingham.
‘Our Michelin star chefs and fine dining restaurant scene have catapulted the city into the culinary spotlight.
\'As the only English city outside of the capital to be named in this high profile listing, Birmingham has every reason to be proud of the international attention its culinary scene is attracting.\'
Jerry Blackett, chief executive of Birmingham Chamber of Commerce Group, echoes this sentiment, telling the BBC:
‘The rise in popularity of Birmingham as a leisure and tourist destination has been rapid.
‘Birmingham\'s cultural, entertainment and gastronomic attractions do now indeed compete with the very best - it\'s official.’
However, Birmingham was not the only British city to make the New York Times list.
London – with the Olympics, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, the bicentenary of Charles Dickens’s birth and the opening of the new Harry Potter studio tour (at Leavesden in Hertfordshire) dominating the diary for 2012 – comes in at number four.
Glasgow – praised for the new Riverside Museum, which showcases the city’s shipbuilding past – features at number 12.
And Wales is also included, thanks to the scheduled opening of the 1,030-mile Wales Coast Path in May – which, according to the New York Times, will have walkers ‘passing medieval castles and threading through cities including Cardiff and seaside resort towns like Tenby.’
The list was topped by a trio of Panama, Helsinki and Myanmar (Burma).