Latest figures show travel is on the up
Travel abroad and travel to the UK have both grown in the three months to April, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics.
The estimated number of visits abroad by UK residents in the three months to April, seasonally adjusted, reached 14.1 million, up 1% compared to the same three months last year.
Meanwhile there were 8 million visits to the UK by overseas residents, seasonally adjusted, up 4% when compared with 2011.
Looking at the overall figures so far in 2012 – a period that is traditionally the quietest for Britain – there has been a 6% increase in visits and a 5% increase in spend compared to the same period last year.
Patricia Yates, director of strategy and communications at VisitBritain, said: "Our £25 million GREAT image campaign has been running in key inbound markets around the world since February. That aims to entice a greater number of people to choose Britain for their next holiday and with the London 2012 Games on our horizons, we hope that these positive April figures are an early indication that our message is getting through."
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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