UK tourists forecast to spend a record high in 2016
Tourists are not only flocking to the UK in record high numbers – they’re also spending more than ever before.
The strong pound is doing little to deter overseas visitors from making their way to our shores: visitors to the UK spent £22bn in 2015 alone, according to new figures from VisitBritain.
Visitor spend is forecast to hit a record high of £23bn in 2016. Sally Balcombe, chief exec of VisitBritain, said this was a testament to the strength of the UK’s tourism sector:
We are competing in a tough international environment and these results highlight how strongly the tourism sector, one of the UK’s fastest growing export industries, is growing.
The number of visitors has risen nearly 12 per cent since 2011, with this year’s Rugby World Cup and the 2012 Olympics driving numbers up.
These figures are expected to keep soaring higher, with VisitBritain announcing the country is on track of realising its goal of 42m international visits by 2020, growth of another 20 per cent which would add £4.5bn in visitor spend.
Figures published in August showed London is the world's most popular tourist destination, with 17m international visitors flocking to the capital last year.