by Donald Wood
Last updated: 10:00 AM ET, Fri March 25, 2016
Photo courtesy of Thinkstock
VisitBritain.org is reporting that the United Kingdom set a new record for January in regard to the number of international visits.
The United Kingdom's Office for National Statistics announced that more than 2.5 million visits were made in January 2016, a 6 percent increase over January 2015. In addition, the visitors spent an astounding £1.28 billion ($1.81 billion).
The January numbers aren't an all-time record-currently set in July 2015 with 3.7 million international visits-but they indicate a strong start to 2016 and possibly more big things to come this year.
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Last year, the United Kingdom set a record for inbound tourism with 35.8 million visits, a four percent increase from 2014. The 2015 numbers were also a 20 percent increase from the final numbers in 2010.
VisitBritain.org director Patricia Yates released a statement about the record-breaking numbers:
"These record-breaking figures highlight the increasing year-round importance of inbound tourism to the UK economy. Tourism remains one of our fastest growing export industries but also one of the most globally competitive which is why we continue to showcase, through our international marketing campaigns, just why Britain should top people's list as a must-go now destination."
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VisitBritain.org also launched its 2016 international marketing campaign, dubbed GREAT Britain 'Home of Amazing Moments', which asks visitors to upload images of their own memorable experiences from their vacations in the United Kingdom.
For more information about Visit Britain, check out the organization's official website.
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