Asian Tourists are Invading This English Village to Take the Most Ridiculous Selfies

July 8, 2016

Asian tourists have recently been flocking to an ordinary English village to the amusement and confusion of many of its residents.

Batches of ‘sight-seeing’ visitors have been arriving in Kidlington, Oxfordshire on tour buses for weeks now, leaving locals wondering what was happening, reports Daily Mail.

The tourists, who were believed to be mostly Chinese, were seen wandering around the rural community taking selfies in backdrops of normal homeowner’s backyard and gardens.

Residents of the neighborhood along the Benmead Road and The Moors Road were surprised to answer knocks on their doors from groups of travelers who seek to have some photos with them and their properties.

Since the influx of the international visitors, locals have been left wondering why their rural town of Kidlington suddenly became popular.

Some speculate that the tourists might have been falsely led to believe by a travel and tour firm that their town was a set location for popular movie or TV titles.

“You are used to seeing tourists going round the Universities in Oxford, or places such as Bourton-on-the-Water but not quite used to seeing them in Kidlington,” local Tony Bennell said.“They do get very excited about it and really enjoy taking pictures in front of the gardens and flowers.”

While Bennell said he doesn’t really mind the tourists, he expressed concern on the behavior of some who would just wander in and pose for selfies in people’s gardens:

“There can be forty of them at a time, jumping out of their coach and taking selfies.”

Resident Simon Jones also shared his bewilderment:

“There are quaint chocolate-box thatched houses in the village and an ancient church, but the tourists are taking selfies in front of bog standard modern homes,” he said.

The Spotted: Kidlington Facebook page has also been wondering for the real reason behind the “Asian tourist phenomenon.” Aside from the possibility of the town being mistaken as a movie set location, some of the users’ comments offered interesting theories that range from sensible to down right ridiculous.

“I had families visiting from China and been on one of these coach trips. They were only taken to sightseeing spots like The Stonehenge, Blenheim Place, etc… and got quite bored in the end,” commented user Cheng Cheng. “At least this is quite different and they can see how the locals live. I guess Benmead happens to be en route to Bicester Village.”

User Andrew Huddart added his similar observation:

“The phenomenon is part of a combined tourism trip involving retail at Bicester (well known as a Chinese destination), the historic University at Oxford (ditto) and you guys are a ‘folksy’ cultural stop on the A34 between the two.”

Another commenter, Andrew MacLachlan figures that the visitors are from a different time:

“They are time travellers, something terrible must happen to your village when we finally exit the EU, they just want to see Kidlington before the event.”

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