2014 predicted to be a record-breaking year for tourism
Tourism Agency VisitBritain has predicted that 2014 will be a record-breaking year for visitors, with numbers growing by 2% with a spend of around £21.5b.
It made the prediction as the government announced a further £90m funding for the GREAT campaign over the next two years.
As well as forecasting a growth in visitor numbers which, it said, represent 4.2% growth in nominal terms, VisitBritain said it expected the volume of visits to return to 2008 levels, with 32.6 million arrivals in 2014.
Latest figures show that during the first 10 months of 2013 the number of visits from overseas was 6% year on year, with visitor spending up 12%.
VisitBritain said that in 2014 it expected growth in emerging markets, particularly Malaysia, South Korea, China and Mexico.
Minister for Tourism, Helen Grant, added: "Millions of people flock to British shores every year and our tourist attractions are world class. Tourism is a key plank of our economy, helping to drive growth and promoting Britain on the world stage. After a record 2013, we want to do even better in 2014 and that's why we are committing an additional £90 million to our fantastic GREAT campaign - to showcase the very best of Britain in key international markets, encouraging visitors to come and experience it for themselves."
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