Hot on the heels of yesterday’s post about the promotion of the recently non existent “Artic Wonderland” of Scotland’s Winter sports locations comes news of a hoax about Porthemmet beach in Cornwall. The Porthemmet site describes the beach as “the best kept secret in Cornwall, a virtual tropical beach due to the proximity of the warming Gulf Stream”. However it’s all make believe and while this may be construed as a bit of harmless fun and anything publicising Cornwall is good I’m not so sure. It gives new meaning to the phrase “tourist trap”. The Cornish word emmet is a rather derogatory term used to describe tourists in locally.

Whipsiderry Beach, near Newquay, Cornwall (a real beach)

What do you think, is any publicity about a destination a good thing thing? I don’t think so if it means tourists driving around Cornwall searching for a hoax beach, asking sniggering locals for directions.