Visit Britain notes record rise in overseas visits as it continues transatlantic push
Overseas visits to the UK have increased by 8% with a record figure of 23.1 million from January to June 2017 according to Visit Britain, with the news coming as the tourism giant continues to invest in transatlantic campaigns.
Overseas visits to the UK have increased by 8%
Just last month the group teamed up with 20th Century Fox to build an interactive quiz around the new Kingsman movie to encourage visitors from North America to visit the UK.
Visit Britain further estimates that overseas visits will increase by 6% to 39.7million in 2017 with spending up 14% to £25.7bn by the end of 2017.
The report further stated that the rise in domestic holidays in England rose by 7% to a record 20.4 million (January to June 2017) with visitors spending £4.6bn, up 17%.
British Tourist Authority chairman Steve Ridgway said that the £40m three-year Discover England Fund, launched by the UK Government in 2015 to develop bookable tourism products, had spurred innovation and collaboration across the industry, contributing to the rise in visits.
Ridgway added: “Tourism is an economic powerhouse, worth £127bn annually to the economy and a job creator right across Britain. Two and a half times bigger than the automotive industry, employing three million, tourism is one of our most successful exports and needs no trade deals to compete globally."
“Tourism is a fiercely competitive global industry and you cannot just build a strong, resilient industry on a weaker currency. We must continue to invest in developing world-class tourism products, getting Britain on the wish list of international and domestic travellers. And we must make it easy for visitors to make that trip.”