Why Americans don’t understand Cornwall

It is something of a paradox that Americans, the nation that loves Britain the most, are yet to have discovered the delights of Cornwall, our own favourite corner of the country. But this could be about to change.

Bristol Airport has laid out plans to increase its capacity from 12 million to 15 million passengers by 2036. The plans involve an expanded terminal building and a bigger runway to enable long-haul aircraft to take off and land at the airport, creating a direct entry point for Americans into England’s South West for the first time.

This is significant, because Americans are by far Britain’s biggest fans. Last year, they made a record 5.1m visits to the UK; clearly they like what they see. Six out of ten US visitors who arrived in 2023 were on a return visit, and in total Americans spent £6.3bn (around £1,200 per head) on UK soil.

However, until now, the South West hasn’t reaped the rewards. Neither Cornwall nor Devon typically appear on classic American tour itineraries, which tend to involve London, and then some combination of Oxford, Stonehenge, the Cotswolds, the Lake District and Edinburgh.

The poor transport links are one reason why. The nearest international airport with non-stop flights across the Atlantic is Heathrow. From there, it is a five-hour train journey or an equally long drive to St Austell, and further still to reach the westernmost depths of Cornwall. Domestic flights to Newquay exist but are infrequent.

Edmund Inkin, director of EATDRINKSLEEP, which runs The Old Coastguard in Mousehole and The Gurnard’s Head near St Ives, says: “It’s definitely the case that we see few travellers from outside the UK and Europe in West Cornwall and mid Wales, where we operate. As long as we’re more than three hours from an airport that can cope with long-haul traffic, they won’t come to us.”

Another hurdle, in the eyes of some visitors, is the lack of activities. In one blog post entitled Cornwall: An American Family’s Take on a Quintessential English Holiday, published on Fodors, the author said that while they enjoyed the castles and the beaches of Cornwall, “the picturesque villages didn’t do as much for us”. They added: “We don’t know what we are supposed to do in these, to be honest.”

A general absence of awareness of England’s South West could be at play, too. In a video that went viral in 2023, an American couple Cara Atwell and Jeremy Davis admitted “most Americans don’t realise Cornwall exists”. Toby Ashworth, a Cornish hotelier, said in a 2018 interview: “While people in Birmingham may know where we are, people in Birmingham, Alabama, haven’t got a clue where Cornwall is.”

Awareness may begin to grow if more members of the Hollywood elite move to Cornwall. American actor Jason Momoa (star of Aquaman) was the latest A-lister to buy a property in Mawgan Porth, which has been nicknamed “Hollywood-on-Sea” thanks to its population of celebrities. Cate Blanchett, Jason Statham and Stanley Tucci all have properties in the village, too.

Indeed, some tourism industry insiders have observed that international visitor numbers are already creeping up in the region. Mark Hixon, the owner of Coswarth House, a boutique Bed and Breakfast in Padstow, says this year he welcomed a higher percentage of overseas travellers than ever before.

“I have been getting a lot of overseas tourists, more than ever post-Covid. They like the luxury boutique-style places, particularly the Americans, Canadians and Australians. Most visitors tend to be on multi-stop UK or European vacations.”

However, Sara Sherwood, The Telegraph’s US travel expert, is unconvinced that England’s South West will ever become a mainstay on the American tourist map of Britain, regardless of any new possible transatlantic flights into Bristol.

“American tourists’ motivations are centred around culture: London, castles, English country gardens, literary trails, ancestry – especially to Scotland and Wales – Harry Potter.

“There’s a sense that this is Key Stage One Europe. It’s the first trip to ye olde world with their children, but also an easy place to visit with ageing parents.

“The US has a varied and spectacular landscape, so Americans tend not to travel to Europe to see mountains. And they certainly don’t head to English beaches in large numbers.

“I can think of Californian friends who went to Cornwall, once, to surf, because that is what they do everywhere they go. They weren’t impressed with the schlep to get there, nor did they enjoy their hotel. The surfing was OK.

“I think the poor roads, and often unappealing architecture, weather and food, will make this a tough sell to American visitors.”