Almost half of England’s Northerners have never visited the US, although more than a third wanted to, according to a new survey.
The poll, by Irish Airlines Aer Lingusfound that 35 percent of people from the North of England would like to visit the US.
New York City is the top destination for Northerners looking to drive to the state, with 53 percent saying it’s the US place they’d most like to visit.
In second place is LA (30 percent), followed by vegas and Orlando, Florida (joint third, 29 percent), and Miami (fourth, 22 percent).
The most important activities in the US, according to those surveyed, are sightseeing (43 percent), visiting theme parks (33 percent) and exploring nature or national parks (26 percent).
When asked what they find most attractive about America, 37 percent said the food and 30 percent the weather.
Fifty-eight percent, meanwhile, said America made them feel “excited,” while 38 percent said the country evoked a sense of curiosity.
The research also found that friendly customer service is the most important part of a long-haul flight for Northern customers, with 94 percent of respondents ranking it as their top priority on a transatlantic trip.
Research by Irish airline Aer Lingus, which operates US flights from Manchester and Dublin, found that almost half of England’s Northerners have never visited the US. Above – An Aer Lingus A321neo approaching JFK Airport
Food and drink is next on the list, with 67 percent ranking it as important on a transatlantic flight, followed by ample legroom (59 percent) and inflight entertainment (51 percent).
Aer Lingus flies direct from Manchester Airport to New York, Barbados and Florida. The airline also flies to 19 US destinations from Dublin Airport.
Aer Lingus undertook the research, which heard the views of 1,000 people from the North of England, as part of its ‘ambition to better understand its Northern customers’.
Reid Moody, Chief Strategy and Planning Officer at Aer Lingus, said: ‘Aer Lingus has called Manchester home for the past three years and we are always keen to hear more about our customers’ travel dreams and how we can better serve people in the North.
“America is very clearly on the map for many people’s travel wish lists and we are delighted to match this desire for more American connectivity with direct routes to New York and Florida from Manchester Airport, as well as seamless connections to new destinations such as Nashville and Las Vegas through Dublin.’
New York City was the top destination for Northerners looking to go to the US, with 53 per cent saying it was the US place they most wanted to visit
