There are a number of reasons why the inbound tour and travel industry in the United States keeps tapping into the combined market of the United Kingdom and Ireland, but—to put it in very basic, if unsophisticated terms—they like us and we like them. For some quick proof, continue reading:
—Results of a survey released last month by ABTA (formerly the Association of British Travel Agents) showed that, for the past 25 years, the USA has been the most popular overseas destination of British travelers. And why not? Central Florida, a favorite U.S. destination of Brits, is just about 9 hours from London by air, while New York is less than 8 hours away.
—And, with Ireland, the proof is in another set of numbers: With a population of just about 5 million, Ireland last year generated over a half million visitors to the USA; that is, put another way, more 10 percent of the country’s population visited the USA last year, and even more are expected to visit this year. (Some of this visitation might have something to do with the fact that some 35 million Americans have some degree of Irish ancestry, setting the stage for a huge VFR market.).
Regardless of the reasons stated above, Brand USA’s recent report on the UK-Ireland market digests a number of other which that illustrate why the two English-speaking countries comprise a potent market—one that Brand USA itself acknowledges by having its public relations agency on the ground work the it as a single market.
Along with some information gleaned from the U.S. National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO), INBOUND has arranged and formatted key excerpts from the report which illustrate that, while British and Irish travelers have some predictable favorites insofar was where they go and what they do in the USA, they have begun to diversify—visiting new and different parts of the country and engaging in different activities once they are in a destination.
The Basic Table: Here is a ten-year window covering inbound visitor traffic to the United States from the UK and Ireland starting at the beginning of the decade through this year.
Overview: Together the UK (comprised of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland) and Ireland have a population of more than 70 million people (65.6 million in the UK and 5 million in Ireland) with 40 percent of the total population in the prime 25-54-year-old demo. It has 5 cities with populations over a million.
Main Airports for Departure to USA: They are London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Manchester, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Glasgow, Dublin, Shannon, Belfast. Dublin and Shannon airports are attracting more and more users and more connecting flights because they have CBP clearance stations there, allowing passengers coming to the USA to avoid long customs lines upon arrival that are a feature of other ports of entry. (Source: https://www.world-airport-codes.com/uk-top-20-airports)
Top Ports of Entry for Travelers from the UK: As usual, the data show that New York is easily the top port of entry for the the Brits, but none of these places are really in the U.S. interior, with the exception of Chicago.
New Flight Routes in 2019: Carriers are continuing to build on increasing airlift from the UK & Ireland to the United States. Of those listed here, half are located in the U.S. interior,
beyond the gateways.”
—British Airways: London to Charleston
—British Airways: London to Pittsburgh
—American Airlines: London to Phoenix
—American Airlines: Edinburgh to Philadelphia
—American Airlines: Dublin to Dallas Fort Worth
—Delta Airlines: Edinburgh to Boston
—Virgin Atlantic: Manchester to Los Angeles
— Aer Lingus: Dublin to Minneapolis-St. Paul
(Source: Airline websites January 2019)
UK & Irish traveler profile
Age Groups
- The baby boomers 54-70 years
- Generation X 39-54 years
- Millennials 20-39 years
- Generation Z Under 20’s
Travel Types, Interests
- Families
- Luxury
- Honeymooners & couples
- Outdoor & adventure
- Cruise
- Students
- VFR
- Specialist interest
Main Holiday Seasons
- Main School Holidays are in:
- April
- July
- August
- December
Shorter School Holidays Take Place during:
- February
- May
- October
Other Notes:
June and September are the key, off-peak travel periods
In UK, most employees receive 5 to 6 weeks paid holidays/leave
In Ireland, workers received 4 weeks paid holidays/leave
Destination Interest—Top 10 States
- California
- New York
- Florida
- Hawaii
- Texas
- Alaska
- Washington
- Nevada
- Colorado
- Arizona
(Source: Brand USA Market Intelligence Study 2018)
Traveler Trends
—On average, UK traveling households intend to go on approximately five holidays a year (UK and abroad) and spend nearly £6,500 ($8,065) on leisure travel in 2019, a slight increase on 2018.
—In 2017, holidaymakers planned and booked with a longer lead time to get their holiday of choice. In 2018, holidaymakers focused on preserving and investing in their longer overseas breaks, in particular with foreign holidays of 7 nights or more.
—The majority of UK travelers are motivated to go on holiday to relax, experience different cultures and cuisines, explore and enhance existing relationships, while millennials are also motivated by self-discovery, the opportunity to meet new people and pursue hobbies
(Sources: ABTA Travel Trends 2019 Report; MMGY, Portrait of UK Travellers™ 2018)
Traveler Trends, Continued
- UK Millennials are driving growth– they intend to go on 41 percent more trips and spend 20 percent more.
- The rise in sustainable tourism – holidaymakers are increasingly aware of the impact that they have on a destination when visiting, with 45 percent saying sustainability is an important element when booking a holiday (up 6 percent from last year).
- Cruise continues to be a popular holiday choice, with one in 12 UK holidaymakers having been on a cruise in the past 12 months. Two-fifths of people are interested in going on a cruise for the first time, with 18-24-year-olds showing the most interest (53%), which possibly reflects the broad range of choice on offer.
(Sources: ABTA Travel Trends 2019 Report; MMGY, Portrait of UK Travellers™ 2018)
Digital trends Social media in the UK & Ireland
95 percent of residents in the United Kingdom and 64 percent in Ireland use the internet.
—Of these 66 percent and 65 percent use social media (in Ireland, there has been growth of 11 percent year-on-year).
—The average daily time spent using social media via any device per day for Brits is 1 hour, 54 minutes and for Irish, 1 hour 47 minutes;
(Sources: We Are Social, Digital in the UK 2018 andDigital in Western Europe 2018)
Specifically Relating to Travel:
- Two-thirds of all travelers go on social media at least once a day. 85 percent of these travelers are on Facebook and around 4 in 10 are active on Instagram and Twitter.
- A quarter of travelers follow influencer and consider social media posts from family and friends whilst looking for holiday ideas However, almost half of millennial travelers select a holiday destination based on social media content.
- The total annual amount spent on consumer e-commerce on travel (including accommodation) was $18.01 billion in the UK (+9 percent year-on-year) and $511.8 million in Ireland (+18 percent year-on-year).
(Sources: We Are Social, Digital in the UK 2018 and Digital in Western Europe 2018)
Tour and Travel Industry Overview
—The market is made up of the following trades:
—Tour operators Travel agents (Retail/Homeworkers/ Consortia)
—Wholesalers (B2B)
—Online travel agencies (OTAs)
