Tourism records to be broken thanks to ‘Brexit effect’

♦ The UK will pass a tourism milestone two years early thanks to Brexit, Visitbritain has predicted.

Forty million annual inbound visits were expected by 2020, but a total of 40.9million will be achieved in 2018, according to the tourism organisation.

These visitors are expected to spend £26.3billion in total, boosting the economy. Visitbritain said: “The vote to leave the EU has put the UK in the international spotlight, so there is definitely more awareness, leading to more trips. Because the pound has fallen against the euro, the UK is now certainly a more affordable place to visit, which also helps. Meanwhile, the US economy has boomed.”

In 2017, inbound visits reached a record 39.2million, up 4 per cent, while spending rose by 9 per cent to £24.5billion. Steve Ridgway, the British Tourist Authority chairman, said Brexit is the “most important” challenge facing the sector: “We want to ensure that the future relationship keeps our borders as frictionless as possible for visitors, our aviation as connected as ever and our economic stability on track.”