The B&B marketplace:
a ‘staycation boom’?
6 | Bed & Breakfast News | Sept-Oct 2016
July highest month
ever for inbound
tourism to UK
Figures released today show that July,
the month after the ‘Brexit’ vote, was the
highest month ever for inbound tourism to
the UK with 3.8 million visits, up 2% per cent
on July last year.
Overseas visitors to the UK spent £2.5 billion
in July, 4% up on the same month last year.
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.
Today’s 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.
Tourism Minister Tracey Crouch said:
“Britain is a world-class visitor destination
with our stunning countryside, historic
buildings and vibrant culture scene
attracting a record number of visits from
around the globe.
“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/VisitEngland Chief Executive
Sally Balcombe said that the best-ever
July figures underpinned a recordbreaking first half year for inbound
tourism, one of the UK’s fastest growing
export industries.
“We want Britain to be top of people’s
list as a ‘must-go now’ destination and we
have an immediate and real opportunity
to promote Britain as a great value
destination, particularly in our long-haul
high spending markets such as China and
the US.