New figures out today show more overseas visitors came to the UK last year than ever before.
In 2016 there were a record 37.3 million inbound visits to the UK, up three per cent on 2015 with visitors spending £22.2 billion, matching 2015’s record spend.
The figures show strong growth in 2016 from North America, Canada and the US – the latter Britain’s most valuable tourism source market, with 4.3 million visits, up seven per cent on 2015.
There were a record 25.3 million visits from the EU in 2016, up four per cent on 2015.
Comparing growth during the last six years shows there were 7.5 million more visits in 2016 than 2010, an increase of 25 per cent.
Inbound visits to friends and relatives saw strong growth throughout 2016 with a record-breaking 11.5 million visits, up ten per cent on 2015.
Tourism is worth £127 billion annually to the UK economy, creating jobs and boosting economic growth across its nations and regions.
