Olympics failed to lure foreign visitors

The number of visits foreign residents made to the UK dipped in July, despite the lure of the Olympics.

Overseas residents made 3.18 million visits to the UK in July 2012 compared with 3.36 million in July last year, according to Office for National Statistics figures.

The amount they spent during their July 2012 visits to the UK reached £2.01 billion – slightly down on the £2.13bn figure for July 2011.

Despite the dip in July, the number of visits to the UK by foreign residents for the first seven months of this year, at 17.93 million, is 1 per cent up on the January-July 2011 total, while spending is up 1 per cent to more than £9.82bn.

UK residents made 5.75 million trips abroad in July this year, fractionally up on the 
total of just under 5.74 million in July 2011.