Help fellow travellers find the best self-catering breaks

Visitors are being encouraged to review their experiences in self-catering accommodation as they head off on a British break this bank holiday weekend.

A new partnership between national tourism agency VisitBritain and independent holiday cottage review website, MyCottageHoliday.co.uk, will help consumers identify the places to stay that are best suited for them and find out what to see and do nearby. It is part of VisitBritain's ambition to get more and more people enthused about taking a break in Britain.

Consumers search for properties on www.MyCottageHoliday.co.uk by town, by county, by entering the name of a property or by interest (such as fishing or Dartmoor). As well as information on the particular appeals of the accommodation, they can also click on a link for more information about the surrounding area drawn from www.visitbritain.com. The links will roll out over the next two months.

Justin Reid, head of online marketing at VisitBritain, says: "It's all about making sure we reach the greatest number of potential visitors and provide them with information that's right for their needs. We have a huge range of accommodation in this country and, as we all look to our wallets this year, self-catering options can offer holidaymakers - from families to couples to groups of mates - real value for money. By working with partners like MyCottageHoliday we can widen awareness of the fantastic wealth of experience that Britain offers."

Andy Brown, editor of MyCottageHoliday.co.uk, adds: "There's so much quality accommodation to choose from throughout Britain, we aim to help consumers narrow down their options and discover some of the smaller businesses that are a unique part of the opportunity. We're focussing hard on encouraging guests to leave reviews now. For property owners, impartial reviews on an independent site are a great way to get feedback from the frontline and encourage new visits - surely an advantage for any business in these challenging times."