UK Visitor Numbers Hit July Record

Inbound visitor numbers to the United Kingdom rose 2 percent in July, setting a new record for the month.

Britain had 3.8 million inbound visits in July and 21.1 million for the January to July period. Both numbers were up 2 percent from the same period a year ago.

Total spend by visitors in July was GBP£2.53 billion, up 4 percent from last year.

Holiday visitor numbers were down 5 percent in July, but this was more than balanced by an 8 percent boost for visits to friends and relatives.

Business travel was static at 730,000 visits.