Visitor spend hits record hight
Visitors to Britain spent a record £11.2 billion in the first seven months this year, a 13% increase on the same period of 2012.
In its annual review, VisitBritain said Britain welcomed 31 million visitors last year, who contributed more than £18.6 billion to the economy.
"2013 has seen further progress on this strong performance," it said.
It hailed its GREAT Britain marketing campaign as a success, claiming that over the past two years it has contributed at least £960 million to the British economy. For every £1 it spends overseas, £19 is spent by visitors in Britain, it said.
VisitBritain said it was well on track to hit its target of £50 million of private sector funding by the end of the 2014/15 financial year.
Launching the review, Christopher Rodrigues, Chairman of VisitBritain said: "Our challenge was to turn aspiration into action; to convert the enthusiasm of London 2012 into sustained increases in awareness and intention to visit. I am delighted to report that over the last twelve months VisitBritain has capitalised on this golden opportunity for tourism.
"Our overall strategic aim for 2014 is to build on our international image, engage further with the travel trade, broaden the product range on offer for tourists and make it easier to get to Britain. Through a strong partnership – government, tourist board and industry – I am confident we will achieve the goals we have set ourselves."
Minister for tourism Helen Grant said: "I want to do all I can to help deliver further growth for the tourism sector, building on the great success of 2012 when we showcased the best of Britain to the world.
"I look forward to working closely with VisitBritain and the wider tourism industry to encourage more people to come to Britain and enjoy the great culture and heritage we have to offer."
In April, VisitBritain set out an ambitious tourism strategy with the objective to draw 40 million overseas visitors to Britain by 2020 and create a further 200,000 jobs.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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