The British are coming! The British are coming!

https://youtu.be/D-qqBPQjXT0

Anecdotal evidence suggested it. Now, the Scottish Daily Record, a major newspaper based in Glasgow, Scotland, says “Billy Connolly’s Route 66” television series last fall has led to an upsurge of Britons who will be traveling the Mother Road this year.

The newspaper reported:

Travel specialists say bookings have shot up by 30 per cent since Billy’s four-part series was shown on ITV1 earlier this year.

Alistair Bell, of travel firm Complete North America – who specialise in Route 66 fly-drive holidays – said: “We have about a 1000 bookings a year and they are up by around a third since Billy’s show.

“It has sparked people’s interest. There has always been something special about the Route and the more people know about it, the more they want to see it.”

Tour guides in Springfield, Ill., and Springfield, Mo., also reported to the newspaper increases in tourism, especially from British travelers.

The report delivered more confirmation what had been widely suspected — Connolly’s show was going to spark a lot of travelers from the United Kingdom to travel Route 66. Pontiac, Ill., reported in December it expected a major uptick in tourism because of the program.

Reports during the show’s four-episode run indicated it was pulling in record or near-record ratings for ITV. Connolly remains a popular comedian and actor in the United Kingdom, and had hosted well-received travel programs for British television.

The show’s producers also seek to air “Billy Connolly’s Route 66” in other parts of Europe, but it was unclear whether this will happen.

The program inspired a book, “Billy Connolly’s Route 66,” and a DVD set of all four episodes.