Last week the budget airline Easyjet sparked controversy, when they launched an advertising campaign with the slogan “This year end up in Malaga, not Margate”. Outraged locals from the Kent town started a campaign on social networking sites demanding that the low cost airline drop the advert which they considered insulting to their town. Local councillor Will Scobie feared that the campaign could harm Margate’s image saying “Margate is a fantastic town for people to visit. We’ve just been named as one of the top 10 places in the world to visit; we’ve got exciting local shops that you can’t find anywhere else, the new Turner Contemporary art gallery and an air show this summer.”

And if you were wondering, Margate has indeed been named as one of the top 10 places in the world to visit, being in seventh place in Rough Guide’s ‘must see’ destinations for 2013. The travel guide say that the town offers more than just ‘golden sands’ and ‘dilapidated seaside charm’, saying it is packed with ‘cute cafes’ and home to the £17.5m Turner gallery. Read the rest of this entry »