2020 marks the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower voyage, one of the most influential journeys in global history, and new research has revealed the strong potential of the anniversary for the UK travel trade. 

The Mayflower was the ship that transported the first English Puritans, known as the Pilgrims, from Plymouth in England to the New World in 1620, after they left their home in Leiden in the Netherlands. The voyage was a defining moment in the shared history of Britain, the US, the Native American Nation and the Netherlands.

New research commissioned by Mayflower 400, the official national and international visitor programme for the anniversary commemorations, reveals strong economic potential presented by the anniversary in 2020.

On behalf of Mayflower 400, Destination Plymouth commissioned research in the United States by specialist research agency Habit5 to evaluate the commercial and investment potential of this iconic anniversary.

Of over 25 million descendants worldwide from the 102 passengers and crew on board the Mayflower ship, over 10 million are US citizens. It is estimated the national Mayflower programme will drive growth in the UK visitor economy of over 1.4 million visitors during the commemoration year with an economic impact in excess of £76 million, in turn creating around 2,000 jobs.

The aim of the study was to determine the potential visitor market size and profile of visitors as a result of the Mayflower anniversary. The study also sought to understand current awareness of the anniversary; provide insights into the appropriate messaging to target US visitors; establish the US market’s propensity to visit England and/or the Netherlands for the commemorations and explore respondents’ intended length of stay and type of travel.

The survey of almost 5,000 people found that over half of respondents had visited England in the past for leisure purposes, highlighting the destination’s need to diversify tourism products and offer new attractions and experiences, beyond the obvious highlights of a first-time visit, to entice US travellers to return for the commemorations.

80% of respondents were not aware of the forthcoming 400th Mayflower anniversary, however, following the anniversary being highlighted during the survey, 12% said they were ‘very likely’ (hot prospects) to visit England in 2020 with a further 36% classified as ‘likely’.

As a result of the survey, over 13.75 million US citizens have been identified as hot prospects to visit in 2020, which indicates the significant potential of the anniversary for UK destinations and the inbound travel trade.

In terms of where they would like to visit, half of the ‘hot prospects’ indicated they would wish to make a specific visit to Plymouth, Leiden, Boston and Southampton. Meanwhile, Plymouth ranked second after London for locations where these respondents would like to stay during the commemorations, followed by Leiden, Amsterdam, Boston and Southampton.

Of the general US population sampled, nearly half would plan to travel independently to England in 2020, and nearly half would plan a four to seven night stay. Of those members of the New England Historic Genealogical Society and the General Society of Mayflower Descendants surveyed, the majority of whom are retired, nearly half would favour a package holiday and nearly half would favour an eight to ten night stay, reflecting their desire for a more immersive Mayflower experience.

Amanda Lumley, Executive Director of Destination Plymouth said: “The research evidences the significant potential the Mayflower 400th anniversary presents to the UK’s visitor economy. We encourage the travel trade in the UK, US and Dutch markets to capitalise on this opportunity in order to generate valuable tourism business through driving visitors to follow in the footsteps of the pilgrims and experience the Mayflower 400 compact partner destinations first hand.”

Janet Redler, Chief Executive of Janet Redler Travel & Tourism, added: “The 400th anniversary provides a fantastic opportunity for travel businesses in the US, the UK and the Netherlands to inspire people with the stories of this iconic voyage that helped to shape the history of these nations. What’s more, as well as generating tourism, the Mayflower 400 commemorations will help to highlight the special relationship between our countries.”

If you or your group would like to enjoy a tailor-made tour to England and the Netherlands in 2020 to celebrate this significant anniversary, please do contact us today.