U.S. travelers continued to flock to the U.K. last year. According to recent numbers from VisitBritain, the visitor numbers and visitor spend from U.S. travelers were way up.
During the first nine months of 2019, 13 percent more American travelers headed to Britain, and they spent 23 percent more than in previous years.
Data shows that a record 3.5 million visitors traveled from the U.S. to the U.K. between January and September 2019. That is an increase of 13 percent from the same period in 2018. Visitors from the U.S. also spent a record £3.4 billion.
"We have seen consistently strong results in visits from the US and in visitor spending throughout 2019 with the double-digit growth demonstrating how much Americans enjoy exploring all that Britain has to offer," said VisitBritain executive president, the Americas Gavin Landry. "We are thrilled to see numbers that demonstrate Britain's continued ability to compete internationally for visitors."
Landry went on to add that now is a great time to travel to the U.K.
"VisitBritain will continue to build on this growth, converting the inspiration into bookings, and encouraging Americans to explore not only the iconic sites but also the unexpected experiences," he said. "With Britain's accommodation and visitor attractions offering good value, and more direct airline routes from the US, it really is a great time to book a trip this year."
The news also comes as good news for the 'Find Your GREAT Britain, I Travel For...' campaign, which boosts awareness of Britain as a visitor destination. The campaign highlights less-explored destinations, together with its renowned landmarks and attractions, to inspire visitors to look beyond the expected.
The U.K. has also streamlined entrance to the country via its ePassport gates, which give U.S. travelers faster entry into the country.
VisitBritain expects interest in travel to the U.K. to continue to rise. The U.S. is now the U.K.'s largest and most valuable inbound tourism market, and the latest data from ForwardKeys shows that forward flight bookings for arrivals from the U.S. to the U.K. from February to July 2020 are tracking up 10 percent when compared to the same period in 2019.
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