July 2016 has broken the record as the best month ever for inbound tourism, according to new figures released today (23 September).
The figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) showed an increase of 2 per cent on the same period last year, with 3.8 million people visiting the UK from overseas.
Additionally, overseas visitors to the UK spent £2.5bn, an increase of 4 per cent on the previous year’s figures.
The statistics also show a record July for inbound visits from European countries, the UK’s largest visit-generating region, 3 per cent up on last year with 2.3 million visits in the period.
North America also included strong growth, with visits up 5 per cent to 580,000. Visits from the ‘rest of the world’, which includes Australia, China, the Gulf markets and India, were up 6 per cent to 790,000.
"Britain is a world-class visitor destination with our stunning countryside, historic buildings and vibrant culture scene attracting a record number of visits from around the globe,” said Tourism minister Tracy Crouch.
“Tourism makes an enormous contribution to our economy and we will continue to support the industry to ensure it thrives and that growth in the sector benefits the whole country."
