Official figures released today (ONS) reveal that Britain has seen the best November since 2007 with visits an impressive nine per cent higher than 2011, keeping the country on track for 31 million visits by the end 2012.
When looking at spend across the eleven months, £17.2 billion was spent in the UK by overseas visitors, representing a record high in nominal terms. Analysis of the results sees a return to growth for all journey purposes, with holiday visits up nine per cent, visits to friends and relations up six per cent and a welcome 11 per cent rise in business visits.
November also saw growth from nearly all the regions in the world. On average the whole of Europe saw a 10 per cent rise with visits from the rest of the world up 12 per cent (apart from North America).
Patricia Yates, Director of Strategy at VisitBritain said: “To have the best November in five years is some achievement as 2012 was no ordinary year for inbound tourism.
“We expect to reach our forecast of 31 million visits for the full year (2012), giving us the perfect foundation to see continued strong growth in international tourism in 2013 contributing revenue to the UK economy and creating new jobs across Britain.
