UK tourism spending surged by £872m last year

From January to July 2017 there were a record 23.1 million overseas visits to the UK, which marks an 8 per cent increase on the same period last year

From January to June this year, domestic overnight holidays in England rose 7 per cent to a record 20.4 million (Getty)

An extra £872m in visitor spending was generated across the UK over the past year, according to official data released on Tuesday.

National tourism agency VisitBritain/VisitEngland said that for every pound invested in tourism during the financial year 2016-2017, £20 of additional visitor spend was generated for the economy.

The latest figures chime with bumper inbound tourism numbers reported last month.

From January to July 2017 there were a record 23.1 million overseas visits to the UK, which marks an 8 per cent increase on the same period last year. Visitor spending rose £13.3bn or 9 per cent.

For the full 2017 calendar year, Visit Britain is forecasting that overseas visits to the UK will increase 6 per cent to 39.7 million, with spending up 14 per cent to £25.7bn by the end of this calendar year.

“Tourism contributes billions to the UK economy, supports millions of jobs and is the lifeblood for many communities across the country,” said UK Minister for Tourism John Glen.

“We have seen record-breaking inbound visits and spend this summer, which is testament to our world-class attractions and the innovation of our tourism industry,” he added.

Inbound tourism has proved robust all year, largely driven by a dramatic slump in the value of the pound since the Brexit vote, especially against currencies such as the euro and US dollar. But Brits are also taking more holidays at home.

From January to June this year, domestic overnight holidays in England rose 7 per cent to a record 20.4 million with visitors spending £4.6bn, up 17 per cent – which represented a new record.