London welcomed a record 5.1 million international visitors between April and June this year, a 6% year-on-year increase, according to the Office for National Statistics International Passenger Survey (IPS).
Tourist spending over the same period was £3.2 billion, an 8% increase compared with the second quarter of 2014. Over the past five years (2009-2014), the number of overseas visitors coming to London has risen by 22.5%.
The national picture is also positive with 9.9 million international visitors coming to the UK between April and June 2015, 5% more than the same period last year.
Tourist spending across the UK over this period was £5.8 billion, a seven per cent increase compared with the second quarter of 2014.
The latest figures follow on from a record-breaking 2014 when 17.4 million overseas visitors travelled to London, spending £11.8 billion across the city’s restaurants, hotels and attractions.
Mayor of London Boris Johnson welcomed the figures. He said: "These numbers prove that our great capital is without a doubt the best place on earth to visit."
