NEWS US visitors want ‘sight-doing not sight-seeing’ By Samantha Mayling


Tourism businesses must develop “immersive, unique experiences” to attract more US visitors, according to the Mayflower 400 UK project manager.


Speaking at the Nottinghamshire


Visitor Economy Summit, Emma Tatlow said the project’s research revealed that the “pursuit of real” is the overarching trend. “They want ‘sight-doing not


sight-seeing’,” she told delegates in Nottingham. “About 80% of those interested in coming to England for Mayflower 2020 want talks and lectures.” Marketing efforts by the


Mayflower 400 UK consortium have resulted in tour packages of Pilgrim sites across England that can be booked by US holidaymakers. Operators that are featuring


Launching the US Connections project at Morgan Motor Company in Malvern, from left: Colin Boden, Morgan Motor Company; Emma Tatlow, US Connections project manager; Fionn Davenport, US Connections Project product creator; Matthew Allder, marketing manager, Visit Worcestershire


Mayflower trips include Kuoni, Tours International and Reformation Tours. Fam trips, press trips and travel


trade shows have helped the marketing partnership promote English destinations associated with the Pilgrims’ story, ahead of the 400th anniversary in 2020 of the Mayflower voyage. The Mayflower 400 project


has been working since 2014 to highlight the anniversary, to boost


Silver Travel Awards 2018: Winners revealed


Shearings Holidays won the title of Best Escorted UK Tour Operator at the Silver Travel Awards, presented in London. The runner-up was over-55s specialist Grand UK Holidays. Super Break won the Best


City Breaks Operator title, while Eurocamp was named Best Self- Catering Accommodation, with Forest Holidays as runner-up. Classic FM presenter John Suchet hosted the annual awards, which recognise travel companies that best cater for the over-50s market. A total of 21 awards were handed out across a range of categories after a record 100,000 votes were cast by the public. Debbie Marshall, Silver Travel


Advisor managing director, said each of the winners had displayed empathy to older customers and maintained a culture of great service.


She said: “Our winners have received ringing endorsements


6 TravelGBI | July-August 2018


from the UK’s mature travellers. These awards are a real test of how well travel firms are addressing the opportunities to attract, impress and create loyalty in the over-50s sector.” Other winners included Great


Rail Journeys, British Airways, HF Holidays, Enable Holidays


and Avis. silvertraveladvisor.com


visitor numbers and develop cultural activities. Tatlow highlighted how it is tricky


for US visitors to navigate England to see many sites associated with the Pilgrims, so it is important that destinations and attractions work with the travel trade to create


itineraries and bookable packages. ◗ An Anglo-American ‘US Connections’ project called Tour England was launched on July 4 – US Independence Day. Led


by Destination Plymouth, US Connections is a collaboration between 13 destinations in the run-up to the Mayflower anniversary in 2020. Bristol, Cambridge, Cornwall,


Essex, Gloucester, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Kent, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Plymouth, the English Riviera and Worcestershire will showcase themes that appeal to US visitors, such as Magna Carta and the rule of law, the Second World War, the US military and the ‘Special Relationship.’ Travel writer Fionn Davenport


is product creator for the project and is exploring destinations to help create itineraries that will be available from September 2018. ‘US Connections’ is one of


several projects to receive funding from the UK government’s £40


million Discover England Fund. mayflower400uk.org


‘Get on board with the millennials’


An e-tourism expert urged tourism professionals to tap into the millennial market – those aged about 20 to 35 – as they are a key market with a huge influence on technology. Andy Abram, director of digital


agency New Mind | tellUs, was speaking about key travel trends at the Nottinghamshire Visitor Economy Summit. “Millennials are the biggest


generation ever – you must get on board with them as they will represent the number-one consumer segment,” he told delegates in Nottingham. “They are ‘money poor but time


rich’ – they stay longer and spend 66% more on average. And about five out of six choose to connect with companies on social media.” Other growth areas he


From left: Debbie Marshall, Silver Travel Advisor; Jane Atkins, Shearings Holidays; John Suchet and Sally Winfield, Accord Marketing


highlighted included independent and solo travel; the importance of women in booking decisions; and the rise of smart devices. He added: “Consumers are


cutting back their spending on material goods in favour of spending on experiences – look at the decline of the high street. “Virtual reality and augmented


reality will also break into the mainstream, especially in tourism.” He advised delegates to study


how their websites incorporate social media, advertising and blogs to help drive the site up the Google rankings. “Your ‘What’s On’ page is important – people expect to see good inspirational content and


‘hero images’,” he said. newmind.co.uk


travelgbi.com


©VisitBritain/Andrew Pickett


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