Stat: London Visitors Up 6 Percent in April and June

London's record-setting visitor numbers continued this summer. According to the UK's Office for National Statistics International Passenger Survey (IPS), the city welcomed a record 5.1 million international visitors between April and June this year, six percent more than the same period last year.

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Tourist spending over the same period was £3.2 billion, an eight percent increase compared with the second quarter of 2014. Over the past five years (2009-2014), the number of overseas visitors coming to London has risen by 22.5 percent.

The national picture is also positive with 9.9 million international visitors coming to the UK between April and June 2015, five percent more than the same period last year. Over half of these international visits to the UK were to London. Tourist spending across the UK over this period was £5.8 billion, a seven percent increase compared with the second quarter of 2014.

The latest figures follow on from a record-breaking 2014 when 17.4 million overseas visitors travelled to London, spending £11.8 billion across the city’s restaurants, hotels and attractions. Earlier this year the capital was named the most popular tourist destination in the world for the second year running by MasterCard in the Global Cities Index report. According to the report, London is forecast to host 18.82 million international visitors in 2015, putting the city ahead of Bangkok and Paris.

Source: London and Partners