Number of American tourists coming to UK almost DOUBLES thanks to plunging value of the pound since Brexit vote
Flyers from the US are taking advantage of the 13 per cent fall
BOOKINGS from American tourists are up 80 per cent thanks to the weak post-Brexit pound, says online travel firm Expedia.
Flyers from the US are taking advantage of the 13 per cent fall in Sterling since the referendum.
Expedia’s Greg Schulze said some air fares are 30 per cent lower and added: “It’s related to the currency, but also capacity on certain routes. We’ve seen great deals.”
Demand for US travel to Europe has been "resilient" despite a number of deadly terror attacks, Schulze said.
"The reality is that people love to travel. Right now, there are good deals for Europe as a destination, especially the UK as a destination," he continued.
"It's largely related to the currency, but also with the capacity for the airlines on certain routes and the competition that brings. We've seen great deals for travellers coming into the UK."
UK hotel and flight packages for US tourists are more than 45% cheaper than last year, Expedia's figures show.
After three years of strong growth, inbound tourism to the US has steadied in recent months, leading to airlines also offering attractive prices for westbound travel across the Atlantic, according to Schulze.
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The perception of the US as an accessible destination for visitors "has certainly been impacted" by measures to tighten border controls since Donald Trump's election as president, he said.
"As less people are coming into the United States - we have seen a slowdown of travellers going into the United States - the airlines will adjust pricing to make sure that those planes will continue to be full. Travellers going in both directions are finding terrific deals."
Cross-channel rail operator Eurostar reported earlier this month that it has also seen a surge in the number of American passengers, helping it to reverse a decline in turnover and passenger numbers.
During the first three months of this year, it recorded a 13 per cent year-on-year increase in US customers, compared with an overall rise of just 2 per cent.
LAKES BREXIT LIFT
Bernard Donoghue, director of the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions, said North Americans view the UK as an "aspirational destination", but it has always been perceived as expensive.
"The fact that we're better value because of the fall in the strength of sterling means that Americans in particular have taken the opportunity of booking here in record numbers," he said.
Donoghue said many US visitors are attracted to the UK's reputation for history and tradition, with the Tower of London, Edinburgh Castle and Westminster Abbey among the most popular attractions.
"I would guarantee that there will be a lot of Americans going to the summer opening of Buckingham Palace," he added.
Latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show that 4.4 million people from North America visited the UK in the year ending March, up 9 per cent on the previous 12 months.