Visitors flood in from USA after fall in pound’s value

VISITORS FROM the USA are flocking to the UK because of the favourable exchange rate with the pound, according to one of the world’s largest online travel firms.

Expedia reported an 80 per cent jump in UK summer bookings from across the Atlantic between January and March, compared with the same period last year. American visitors are taking advantage of the 13 per cent fall in the value of sterling compared with the US dollar since the EU referendum in June last year.

Expedia’s global head of transport Greg Schulze said: “The best deals on air fares are coming from the US into the UK. We’re seeing discounts of 20 per cent to 30 per cent from a year prior.”

Mr Schulze said demand for US travel to Europe has been “resilient” despite a number of terror attacks, adding: “The reality is that people love to travel. Right now, there are good deals for Europe as a destination, especially the UK as a destination.

“It’s largely related to the currency, but also with the capacity for the airlines on certain routes and the competition that brings. We’ve seen great deals for travellers coming into the UK.”

UK hotel and flight packages for US tourists are more than 45 per cent cheaper than last year, the figures show. After three years of strong growth, inbound tourism to the US has steadied in recent months, leading to airlines also offering attractive prices for westbound travel across the Atlantic, according to Mr Schulze.