UK tourism from overseas travellers hit record highs in 2017 and is expected to continue into next year.
This year alone, 39.9 million visits were made to the UK, an increase of 4.4 per cent.
Overseas visits to the UK could exceed 40 million in 2018, with predicted record-breaking rates of 41.7 million people.
The figures, released by VisitBritain, are great news for the UK as it is expected to bring in a whopping £26.9 billion to the economy.
The increase has been credited to the fall in the pound, meaning overseas visitors can get more for their money.
Sterling has suffered against both the euro and the dollar; visitors from Europe were up 4 per cent whilst North America visitors were up 14 per cent.
VisitBritain director Patricia Yates commented: “Tourism is one of the UK’s most valuable export industries.
“It is also a fiercely competitive global industry and these results not only demonstrate Britain’s continued ability to compete internationally for visitors, they are testament to tourism’s importance as a driver of economic growth.”
Domestic tourism in the UK has suffered, with London especially, following recent terror attacks.
Central London saw a fall in visitors by 17 per cent compared to last year in September according to Bernard Donoghue, director of the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions.
She stated: “These are parents under 35 with kids aged around seven. They have reacted significantly to the attacks.
“But they are going elsewhere, places like Bath, Bristol, Oxford, instead.”
Overseas visitors aren’t the only ones grabbing a bargain for their holiday.
Britons could save hundreds when booking a trip to Spain, Greece or Turkey, which have all fallen in cost, as well as getting more for the value of the pound.
For example, Thomas Cook has slashed prices for a seven-night holiday to Lanzarote from £693 to £500.
The Boxing Day sales are expected to reach over £4 billion as Britons shop for a bargain.
