The number of domestic overnight holiday trips also set a new record for a first quarter with 7.3 million visits, up 10% compared to the same period in 2015.
VisitBritain/VisitEngland Director Patricia Yates said:
“This is an incredibly positive start to the year as we continue our #OMGB ‘Home of Amazing Moments’ campaign in the build-up to summer, encouraging people to explore more of our regions and driving tourism, and its economic benefits, across the whole of England.”
VisitEngland launched its domestic marketing campaign for 2016 to get more Brits to take a short-break at home. The campaign inspires people to share images of their own amazing holiday moments in the UK using the hashtag #OMGB, some of which are shared across VisitEngland and VisitBritain’s Twitter, Instagram and Facebook platforms.
Today’s best-ever first quarter figures come on the back of a strong 2015 for domestic holidays in England with trip volumes and spending both up by 7%.
Overall, last year domestic overnight tourism in England across all trip-purposes saw a record-breaking £19.6 billion spent and the highest number of trips since 2012.
ENDS
Notes to editors
New attractions, openings and events this year
• New Tate Modern opened earlier this month (June).
• The i360 tower in Brighton is opening this summer – the world’s tallest moving observation tower.
• The world’s longest and tallest tunnel slide has just opened at the ArcelorMittal Orbit in London’s Olympic Park
• Another exciting season of West End debuts this summer including the Disney classic Aladdin and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
• Shakespeare’s New Place opens to visitors in Stratford upon Avon this summer – walk in Shakespeare’s footsteps as Britain commemorates the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death with a programme of events and performances.
• The biggest disco ball in the world is rolling into Leeds on 1 July.
• Liverpool Mattel Play theme park opened in March and features family-favourites Thomas and Friends, Bob the builder, Fireman Sam.
• 100th anniversary of Roald Dahl –learn about the author at the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre in Buckinghamshire
About GBTS
• A background to the survey can be found here: About GBTS and GBDVS
• The survey is jointly sponsored by VisitEngland, VisitScotland and Visit Wales, and carried out by independent research agency TNS
• Interviewing is carried out every week of the year using a face-to-face methodology. Annually, some 100,000 respondents are contacted, and any who have returned from an overnight trip within the past four weeks are asked to describe the details of that trip.
• The full results can be found here: latest GBTS results
