UK receives record number of tourists… despite recent terror attacks in London and Manchester
Foreign tourists up by 8 per cent and spending up by £842million over the past year
THE number of tourists visiting Great Britain is on the up - despite the tragic terror attacks in London and Manchester.
According to figures from VisitBritain, the number of foreign visitors is up by 8 per cent and visitor spending has risen by £842m over the past year.
The figures, announced today at Visit Britain / Visit England's , come on the back of strong growth from inbound tourism.
From January to July this year there were a record 23.1 million overseas visits to the UK and VisitBritain is forecasting that overseas visits to the UK will increase 6 per cent to 39.7 million in 2017 with spending up 14 per cent to £25.7 billion by the end of this calendar year.
The figures prove that tourists have not been put off by the recent spate of terror in London and Manchester.
"The tourism industry is resilient," says Patricia Yates of Visit Britain. "While the Japanese and German markets have been a little nervous, we're seeing a lot of visitors from the US."
"We have always appealed to the baby boomer generation from the USA, but now using digital platforms we're appealing to millennials looking for unique experiences."
"But while London is the jewel in the crown, we have seen outside London growing faster than than the capital itself," says Yates.
"There has been a real move to visitors to the countryside, with Scotland, Yorkshire, the South West and the Lake District all having great years."
"Perhaps this is due to our major markets such as China coming from urban areas - but it also suggests people are keen to get away from cities, generally."
Brits are also taking more holidays at home. From January to June this year, domestic overnight holidays in England rose 7 per cent to a record 20.4 million with visitors spending £4.6 billion, up 17 per cent and also a record.
But Yates adds: "Interestingly the domestic market to central London attractions has decreased - with less families from outside London coming into central areas of the capital".
This suggests that despite an influx of tourists, people who do not regularly commute in London are fearful following recent events.
UK Minister for Tourism, John Glen, said: "Tourism contributes billions to the UK economy, supports millions of jobs and is the lifeblood for many communities across the country.
"We have seen record-breaking inbound visits and spend this summer, which is testament to our world-class attractions and the innovation of our tourism industry.
"Internationally we are performing strongly in a hugely competitive market and I will continue to work closely with the sector to maintain growth, get the best possible deal as we exit the EU and retain the UK's position as the must-visit destination."
British Tourist Authority Chairman, Steve Ridgway CBE, said the 16 per cent fall in the exchange rate was making visiting Britain even more attractive but had impacted the overseas marketing budgets quite heavily - despite this, the organisation had delivered for British tourism.
Mr Ridgway, former Chief Executive of Virgin Atlantic Airways, said: “Tourism is an economic powerhouse, worth £127 billion 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.”
Gardens and zoos are top UK attractions
Gardens and zoos saw the most significant growth in visitors to attractions last year, according to VisitEngland’s Annual Attractions Survey
The survey, which gathered information from more than 1,500 English attractions, found that historic houses and castles reported a 7% increase in visitor numbers, and country parks a 4% increase. Outdoor attractions performed particularly well, with gardens and zoos showing growth of 8%.
In line with VisitEngland’s Great Britain Tourism Survey results, coastal and rural attractions experienced strong growth of 4% and 5% respectively.
Tourism Minister John Glen said: "We have an amazing range of world-class attractions in England that draw in millions of visitors every year.
"Whether it is our unique historic buildings, internationally important museums or stunning gardens, there is a huge amount to see and do.
"Ensuring that all parts of the country benefit from our tourism industry is a key government priority so it is fantastic to see such growth across the regions."
The British Museum was the most visited free attraction in England in 2016, for the 9th consecutive year, with nearly 6.5 million visitors, and was closely followed by the National Gallery which had more than 6.2 million visitors.
The Tower of London topped the list of paid for attractions for the 8th year running, with 2.7 million visitors, and Chester Zoo experienced its highest ever ranking, in second place, with nearly 1.9 million visitors.
Visits to England’s attractions rose by 2% in 2016, with attractions reporting revenues up by 7%.
VisitEngland latest figures show that for the first four months of the year (2017) Brits took a record 11.4 million holiday trips in England.
The tourism economy is worth £106 billion annually to England.
