Foreign tourists 'flocking to UK'

The London Eye has become a top London tourist magnet

Foreign holidaymakers flocked to the UK this summer despite the fear of terrorism in the wake of the July bomb attacks in London.

The UK welcomed 3.25 million foreign visitors in August 2005 - an increase on the 3.16 million total a year ago.

And 10% more foreign visitors entered the country over the year ending August 2005, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Meanwhile, the number of Britons venturing overseas rose by 4%.

In the year to August 2005, the amount of UK residents visiting foreign shores rose to 65.6 million, the ONS said.

Visits to Western Europe increased by 1% to 49.6 million, while trips to North America rose 10% to 5 million.

Jaunts to other parts of the world rose by 18% to 11.0 million.

Fearless

Visits by overseas residents to the UK rose from 26.9 million to 29.7 million in the year ending 31 August, 2005.

Although visits from US residents fell by 1% to 4.3 million over the year, during August - the month after the bomb attacks on London's transport system - numbers rose to 530,000 - up from 461,000 in the same month a year earlier.

There was a 10% rise in visitors from Western Europe to 19.2 million and travellers coming to the UK from other parts of the world of rose by 22% to 6.2 million.

The ONS figures appear to support recent findings from the Visit London organisation.

Visit London suggested that the 25% drop in people visiting major London attractions in August 2005 was more down to fewer Britons travelling to the capital rather than to a lack of tourists from overseas.