Tourism Officials Announce Record-Setting Year for UK

On Friday, tourism officials from the United Kingdom revealed the country set a new record in 2016 for inbound visits.

Last year, a record 37.3 million tourists visited the UK, which was an increase of three percent from the previous year’s total. Visitors also spent £22.2 billion, which matched the record set in 2015.

As for where the tourists came from, the UK reported strong growth from Canada and the United States, including a seven percent jump from the U.S., with a total of 4.3 million visits last year.

The European Union was also a major contributor to the record, with a four percent increase to a record 25.3 million visits in 2016. When comparing the 2010 tourism numbers to 2016’s record-setting pace, the UK welcomed 7.5 million more tourists, a 25 percent increase.

“As these record-breaking figures show, the UK is one of the world’s must-visit destinations,” Tourism Minister Tracey Crouch said in a statement.

“Our country has so much to offer tourists from home and abroad, from thriving cities to stunning scenery and renowned cultural attractions. The industry makes a significant contribution to our economy, and we will continue to support tourism to grow the sector further and promote the UK across the world.”

READ MORE: “Record Number of US Tourists Visited Britain”

The tourism record set in 2016 came after a late-year surge which saw a record 3.2 million visits from October to December, an increase of 11 percent during the same period in 2015.

Data also shows 2017 is starting off strong with flight bookings to the UK up 16 percent for February to April compared to the same period last year. With the tourism industry in the UK worth £127 billion annually, the country is hopeful 2017 will be another record-setting year.

“The strong growth in inbound visits demonstrates British tourism's continued ability to compete for international visitors and deliver economic growth across our nations and regions,” VisitBritain CEO Sally Balcombe said in a statement. “We must seize the opportunity to build on this, boosting visitor spending by driving home the message of welcome and value particularly in our high spending markets such as China and the US and the valuable European market.”

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