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Visitor numbers and spend rose in 2011

The number of visits to Britain last year went up by 3% and the amount spent was up by 5%, according to new figures.

International Passenger Survey (IPS) data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows visitor numbers for the year hit 30.6 million, while the total amount spent was £17.8bn.

The survey also found that 2011 saw a record number of holiday visits to the UK of 11.9 million, which is a growth of 2% compared to 2010 and continues the positive trend of the past four years.

There were signs of recovery in business travel in the first half of 2011, which grew by 6%, and the number of visits to friends and relatives was also up 5% to 8.8 million on 2010 - which was a return to 2009 levels.

Other findings showed that the growth is coming from the countries least affected by the economic downturn, the American market grew for the first time since 2006, and that outbound tourism increased 1% to 56.1m visits.

The full report can be downloaded below.

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Visitor stats 2011