London breaks visitor records in 2015 second quarter

London’s tourism boom has continued during the second quarter of 2015, with the city welcoming a record 5.1 million international visitors between April and June this year, six per cent more than the same period last year, according to the Office for National Statistics International Passenger Survey.

Tourist spending over the same period was £3.2 billion, an eight per cent 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 per cent.

The national picture is also positive with 9.9 million international visitors coming to the UK between April and June 2015, five per cent 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 per cent 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.

Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, welcomed the figures.

He said: “These numbers prove that our great capital is without a doubt the best place on earth to visit.

“People come from around the world to experience our unique mix of history, culture, shopping and world-class events.

“With our spectacular autumn season of culture and the Rugby World Cup having put London in the spotlight once again, we’ll undoubtedly be welcoming even more tourists to London in the months ahead.”

The IPS figures show that London’s popularity is going from strength to strength, with increasing numbers of visitors coming to London each year to attend the capital’s calendar of world-class exhibitions, visit the city’s famous landmarks, enjoy its diverse culture, and watch major sporting events.