The tourism agency predicts spending by overseas visitors will reach £24.1 billion in 2017 – an 8% increase in spending compared with this year, which is expected to reach £22.3 billion.

Overall Visit Britain said it anticipated the number of overseas visitors to the UK to rise next year to 38.1 million visits, up 4% on 2016, which is likely to see about 36.7 million visits by the end of the year, it said.

Sally Balcombe, chief executive of VisitBritain said: “These figures not only underpin a longer-term pattern of growth for inbound tourism, one of our fastest growing export industries, but also demonstrates its growing importance as a key driver for economic growth and jobs. 



“With our hotels, shops and attractions all offering excellent value for overseas visitors right now, it’s a great time to come to Britain. Through our strategic partnerships and global marketing campaigns we are converting aspiration to visit into bookings, ensuring that the economic benefits of tourism are spread across all of Britain’s nations and regions.”


The news comes despite yesterday’s news that the British Hospitality Association had reported a decline in the number of inbound visitors for the second month running, which it suggested may be linked to a “slowdown in the UK staycation market”.