UK tourist influx

AN influx of tourists to the UK as a result of the weak pound helped boost sales for the owner of Holiday Inn.

Intercontinental said visitor numbers remained resilient in the first half of the year despite terrorist attacks.

Profits jumped 9pc to £251m in the six months to the end of June while sales rose 2pc to £659m. The hotelier, which owns the Crowne Plaza brand, also added 23,000 rooms over the period – up 31pc on last year.

But while growth in Europe remained strong, new chief executive Keith Barr said the Us market has slowed after business was hit by the timing of Easter.