British tourism boosted by 21 percent jump in foreign holidaymakers

LONDON - 13 July 2017: The number of foreign holidaymakers coming to Britain in the first three months of this year jumped by 21 percent, adding to other signs that the fall in the value of the pound since last year's Brexit vote is helping the country's tourism industry.

The overall number of foreign visitors to Britain rose by 9.9 percent compared with a year earlier, including a nearly 2 percent fall in business travellers, the Office for National Statistics said on Thursday.

Trips abroad by British holidaymakers rose by 5.6 percent, contributing to an overall 8.1 percent increase in UK residents going out of the country in the January-March period.