July 2016 was the best month so far for inbound tourism to the UK with 3.8 million visits, up 2% on July last year.
Overseas visitors to the UK spent £2.5 billion in July 2016, a 4% year-on-year increase.
The Office for National Statistics figures show that it was a record July for inbound visits from EU countries, the UK’s largest visit-generating region, with 2.3 million visits, 3% up on last year.
There was also strong growth from North America, which includes the US – the UK’s most valuable visitor market – with visits up 5% to 580,000.
Visits from the ‘rest of the world’, which includes Australia, China, the Gulf markets and India, were up 6% to 790,000.
The July figures bring inbound visits for 2016 so far to 21.1 million, up 2% on the same period last year and a record year-to-date.
Spending by visitors during this period was £11.7 billion.
VisitBritain/VisitEngland chief executive Sally Balcombe said the July figures underpinned a record-breaking first half year for inbound tourism, one of the UK’s fastest growing export industries.
Tourism Minister Tracey Crouch promised continued support from the Government: "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."
VisitBritain is refreshing its successful global #OMGB ‘Britain, Home of Amazing Moments’ campaign, part of the UK Government’s global GREAT Britain campaign.
It will shortly launch a new initiative, VisitBritain’s ‘Home of Amazing Moments’ campaign on a rolling cycle globally.
