St Albans will feature in a tourism project encouraging Americans to travel over the pond.
A Lonely Planet author and award-winning travel journalist, Fionn Davenport, is visiting St Albans Cathedral and the Ye Olde Fightings Cocks as part of Tour England, an Anglo-American connections project.
Using his experiences of 13 destinations around the UK, he will create themed itineraries which American tourists can book with a travel agent.
The themes include ancestral tours, faith and religion, and wartime and the Special Relationship.
Fionn said: “I can honestly say I haven’t looked forward to a project as much as this one for many years. The opportunity to explore a chunk of England at a granular level is very exciting.
“I’ve been a travel writer for a long time, and it is these kinds of experiences, travelling around a country exploring attractions big and small, visiting famous sites and discovering less well-known ones that remind me I have one of the best jobs in the world.”
The project was financed by the Discover England Fund, which is administered by VisitEngland and was set up to ensure England stays competitive in the tourism industry.
Visit Herts CEO Sandra Matthews-Marsh said: “We’re absolutely delighted to be participating in this project and working to generate more awareness around England as a tourism destination for the US inbound visitor market.
“We’re really looking forward to welcoming Fionn to Hertfordshire and sharing our regions rich history and Anglo-American connections.
“There is so much in Hertfordshire for US visitors to truly connect with, such as our incredible film and TV history, links to the Magna Carta and our important aviation links to the Second World War.”
She is looking forward to welcoming all the American tourists to Hertfordshire.
Project director Amanda Lumley added: “US visitors are increasingly seeking immersive experiences; they want sight-doing not just sight-seeing and want to be able to steep themselves in local cultures and traditions.
“We know that US visitors love and want to experience the heritage and history of England – which is why we have set out to develop these bespoke, bookable itineraries.”
Fionn will also visit Knebworth House, Hatfield House, and the De Havilland Aircraft museum.
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