THE FRIENDLY INVASION HOW THE UNITED STATES CHANGED EAST ANGLIA FOR EVER AN INTRODUCTION FOR TRAVEL OPERATORS AND TOURISM BUSINESSES Introducing The Friendly Invasion 4 Quintessential England and The Special Relationship Visit East Anglia, supported by The Friendly Invasion encourages travel We have been working closely with 6 The Friendly Invasion in a nutshell operators to sell tours for groups and individuals Visits Cambridge & Beyond, Essex, Visit Britain, has been leading on that take in the significant World War II sites as Norfolk, Suffolk and Norwich as well as 7 Our target visitors developing the Friendly Invasion well as the contemporary visitor offering that IWM Duxford, The Cambridge American 8 Visitor needs product to encourage more visitors includes the world-renowned university city Cemetery and Memorial, the 2nd Air 9 Visitor benefits from the United States to experience of Cambridge, the country’s best-preserved Division Memorial Library in Norwich, 10 Visitor characteristics – some key facts medieval city of Norwich, charming market and bomb group museums and 11 Need to know about visitors/booking habits the region where over 350,000 towns such as Lavenham and Bury St Edmunds, memorials including Thorpe Abbotts and many boutique and characterful country (100th Bomb Group), Horham (95th 12 East Anglia map & getting around US Air Force servicemen were hotels and pubs. It can also guide and advise Bomb Group) and Old Buckenham 14 What US tour operators and agents say based during World War II. Free Independent Travellers (FITs). (453rd Bomb Group). 16 East Anglian destinations Their arrival from 1942 created the The Friendly Invasion product is one of a In these pages, we describe our target 18 Key collateral – World War II number of successful projects made possible visitor types, summarise the benefits 20 Masters of the Air – TV series biggest landscape and cultural impact by HM Government’s £40m Discover England the product provides and outline what 22 Get involved with The Friendly Invasion of any event in East Anglia since the Fund, administered by Visit England – we hope to achieve working together, Norman Conquest 900 years earlier. discoverenglandfund.org ensuring that today’s Friendly Invaders will be just as warmly welcomed Milestones on The Friendly Invasion project so and well looked after as their fellow far have included a launch event at Imperial countrymen were 75 years ago. War Museum Duxford with 300 guests, a familiarisation trip for US and UK-based travel Pete Waters, operators, and visits to US sites including the Executive director, National World War II Museum in New Orleans Visit East Anglia and The Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum in Savannah. Hollywood actor James Stewart, who served with The Mighty Eighth. 2 3 Quintessential England and The Special Relationship The Friendly Invasion is a bookable product that provides a unique experience for US visitors, enabling them to walk in the footsteps of their forebears whose bravery and sacrifices helped win the fight for democracy and free speech against totalitarianism. Along the way visitors will find the essence of quintessential England – medieval castles and cathedrals, the Royal family’s private home, tea rooms and country pubs, quaint villages with thatched homes, characterful market towns, punting on the River Cam, moated manor houses, aristocratic stately homes, majestic gardens and stunning countryside. They might discover English whisky distilleries, links golf clubs on stunning coastline, and boating on the unique Norfolk Broads. They will undoubtedly find superb local food Norwich Sandringham – home to the Royal Family and drink, including craft ales and local farm and sea ingredients, excellent shopping and a brilliant range of accommodation that includes boutique hotels, country estate hotels, spa hotels and traditional inns. They will discover the region where our nation started, from here ‘Angle land’ went on to become England, and where the biggest percentage of passengers on The Mayflower came from. They will discover other North American links, including John Rolfe of Heacham, whose marriage to Pocahontas created the Special Relationship between our countries and without whom it’s likely US visitors would be speaking Spanish, Dutch or French, and Thomas Paine of Thetford, whose writing inspired George Washington and so helped save the War of Independence. Statue of Thomas Paine, Thetford Cambridge Elm Hill, Norwich 4 5 The Friendly Invasion in a nutshell Our target visitors Walk in the footsteps Travel along winding lanes through lush green countryside and by stunning coast and discover a land of Roman forts, of some of the earliest Viking pillaging, Anglo-Saxon churches and Norman castles settlers to North and cathedrals. America – and the This is where England’s Agricultural Revolution began, generation of United but was bypassed and left unsullied by the grime and States Air Force dirt of the Industrial Revolution. servicemen who fought Passing through rich arable and grazing land and set-in-aspic, The friendly invasion – where target audiences higgledy-piggledy villages and market towns you will be and destination activity meets the ‘hot-spot’ and died to defend our transported back in time. Rural life seems to have changed freedom and democracy little since The Mighty Eighth Air Force began arriving in 1942. against Nazism. Welcome to England as you imagine it. Using Visit Britain research and data, we have “I would love for identified three key US target market segments. all the family, every one of us, to come as a ENJOY THE TRADITIONAL PUBS, INNS, EXPLORE ONE OF THE WORLD’S GREAT WALK THE COBBLED STREETS OF THE FINEST CURIOUS AFFLUENT RELAXED TAVERNS AND TEA ROOMS THEY DID UNIVERSITY CITIES, AS THEY DID MEDIEVAL CITY IN ENGLAND, AS THEY DID EXPLORERS TRENDSETTERS SIGHTSEERS group… to feel the emotion, because Aged 25-68 Aged 25-54 Aged 65+ 18% of travellers 17% of travellers 16% of travellers it is emotional.” Go to places that are not Want to experience Like to experience new Ann Cook, daughter of Staff Sergeant Marion ‘Mac’ Makarewicz, obvious and like discovery. things that others haven’t, things. Have a special ball turret gunner, 95th Bomb Group Like customisable trips but also want high interest in history, that can be organised at standards of hospitality. museums and seeing their own pace. They are digital natives sights. Like to learn, and early adopters. explore and experience. 6 7 The Friendly Invasion is an easily-accessible way to explore and experience quintessential England – with unique north American connections. It would also Visitor needs Visitor benefits appeal to those on the Continent interested in the Liberation Route Europe story. Visit East Anglia aims BESPOKE, TAILORED OR EXPERIENTIAL TOURISM RATIONAL BENEFITS EMOTIONAL BENEFITS ADVISED ITINERARIES to be a one-stop shop Visitors want to go to a traditional CONNECTIVITY East Anglia is just an hour’s drive from Heathrow Airport. EXPLORATION A trip to East for information on Link up key sights with accommodation English pub and tea room, attend local London Stansted Airport is close to Cambridge, and Norwich International Anglia will include amazing sights The Friendly Invasion, providers. Group travellers must be events, use independent shops, be Airport has connecting flights from the US via Schiphol Airport in and experiences to tell your friends able to book itineraries, whereas pampered in a health spa, eat and drink Amsterdam, Holland. The region has an excellent road and rail infrastructure, and relatives about. suggested itineraries, Free Independent Travellers (FITs) must local products, immerse themselves in and Continental ferry between Harwich and Hook of Holland. It is easy and ENRICHMENT Immerse yourself in be able to tailor trails to their needs. our culture. practical to combine The Friendly Invasion with a visit to London. knowledge and the way of the English people, see contact information. CONCENTRATED The key elements of The Friendly Invasion are no more than how we live, work and play. AWARENESS ENHANCEMENT ACHIEVEMENT AND EDUCATION two hours from each other, and travellers will never be far from superb dining EMPATHY To discover The Friendly and accommodation opportunities. The Friendly Invasion will provide Visitors will get off the beaten track, Invasion is to get to know England, knowledge and increased awareness. increase their knowledge, and do CHOICE The Friendly Invasion offers an extraordinary variety of quintessential to become an England Insider, and something many of their English experiences, from the historic and heritage to contemporary. to understand the close historical TRANSPORT contemporaries will not have done. It can combine countryside and coast, cities, market towns and coastal ties between East Anglia, England communities. It can be explored by train, car, coach, boat, cycle and on foot. and North America. Visitors want good, reliable transport – trains are the preferred method of travel. NORWICH’S VICTORIAN DISCOVER CHARACTERFUL COUNTRY GET OFF THE BEATEN TRACK IN EAST ANGLIA, RAILWAY STATION PUBS ACROSS THE REGION BY CAR, COACH, CYCLE OR ON FOOT 8 Take part in English festivals 9 Visitor characteristics – some key facts NEED TO KNOW ABOUT VISITORS 79% OF AMERICAN HALF OF ALL HOLIDAY NEW YORK AND 40% OF AMERICANS – The US is globally ranked 2nd for VISITORS ARE ‘VERY VISITORS ARE CALIFORNIA GENERATE THINK A TRIP TO FRANCE IS THE MOST international tourism expenditure. LIKELY’ OR ‘LIKELY’ TO MAKING A REPEAT THE MOST VISITS BRITAIN WOULD BE VISITED DESTINATION – Average length of stay of US visitors in the UK is 8 nights. RECOMMEND BRITAIN TRIP TO BRITAIN TO BRITAIN ‘EDUCATIONAL’ IN WESTERN EUROPE – Average spend per visit is £989. FOR US TRAVELLERS – – They are Year-round visitors – 20% visit Jan-Mar, THE D-DAY BEACHES 27% Apr-Jun, 29% Jul-Sep, 24% Oct-Dec. AND LIBERATION CAMBRIDGE IS THE VISITORS ENJOY HISTORY AND HERITAGE AND BRITAIN IS THE – Americans want to stay in a 3-star plus property ROUTE EUROPE MOST POPULAR DAY ENJOYING QUINTESSENTIAL ENGLISH EXPERIENCES DESTINATION THOUGHT in a location close to their activities.