Published on : Wednesday, August 20, 2014
The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, the Royal Wedding and the arrival of the Royal Baby over the last few years seem to have added new zest to America’s enduring love affair with the British Monarchy – at least that’s what the behavior of US tourists in London suggests.
Leading attractions card the London Pass monitored the sightseeing choices of its customers – international visitors to the UK’s capital – for a whole year. Data recorded through the pass’s smartcard technology showed that in 2013, 23.70% of all visits to sites with Royal connections (including Windsor Castle and Kensington Palace) were made by visitors from the United States. Americans represented 19.32% of visits to all London Pass attractions, so the higher percentage point for Royal sites identifies them as a key draw for US tourists.
The proportion of visits to Royal-related attractions by American London Pass holders has grown by more than 4% since 2011, and last year the most popular Royal sites with visitors from across the Atlantic were the Tower of London and Windsor Castle.
“It’s often said that American tourists are fascinated by the British Royals, and the sightseeing patterns of our customers confirm this,” said Amanda Truman, Director Product Marketing for the London Pass.
“London as a vacation destination seems more popular than ever too. Last year our sales to US visitors grew by 65% compared to 2012, and we are continuing to see growth this year. The US remains our No.1 market.”
Wartime heritage also proved a popular draw, with American pass holders accounting for 23.55% of visits to six London Pass attractions closely associated with the two World Wars. HMS Belfast, the Imperial War Museum, the Firepower Royal Artillery Museum, the Jewish Museum and the Royal Air Force Museum were all visited by a significantly higher proportion of US visitors than London Pass attractions overall. Most popular was the Churchill War Rooms, where Americans represented more than a third of London Pass visitors.
London Pass customer behavior also showed that American pass holders were more keen than visitors from other nationalities to explore beyond the city centre. US tourists made up nearly a third of all visits to Hampton Court Palace, more than a quarter of visits to Windsor Castle and almost 25% of visits to Chislehurst Caves in Kent – which functioned as a deep air-raid shelter protecting more than 15,000 people during the wartime Blitz.
London Pass data suggests that Americans are in depth sightseers, visiting fewer attractions than visitors from other nations (an average of just 1.39 attraction visits per pass per day compared to German pass holders who visited on average 1.72 attractions per pass per day, or French pass holders who visited 1.78 attractions per day). Taking their time to really explore and understand their chosen attractions, 76% of Americans bought longer duration London Passes for either three days or six days, rather than the one-day or two-day options.
A three-day London Pass is priced at £81 per adult and £56 per child (aged 5-15), and a six day pass at £108 per adult and £76 per child (aged 5-15). London Pass holders save money and time on city sightseeing. The card also includes queue-jumping privileges at a number of other sought-after city attractions, ensuring that travellers spend less time waiting to gain entry, and more time enjoying their chosen experience.
Tags: The London Pass
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