The UK experienced record visitor figures for 2006.

Visitor numbers to the UK rose by almost 10% in 2006, with the greatest increase in visitors coming from Poland, according to the recently published Travel Trends 2006 report by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Polish visitors to the country rose from 0.2 million in 2002 to 1.3 million in 2006, while Americans continued to visit the UK in the greatest numbers, accounting for 3.9 million visits in 2006 and spending around 54% more per visit than the average European.

Outbound travel from the UK has also reached record levels. The most popular destinations were Spain and France, however total visitor numbers to these areas are declining due to the growing popularity of other destinations. Outside of Europe, India and Egypt experienced a large increase in UK visitors.

Of visits to the country by UK citizens, VisitBritain, the national tourism agency, has stated that UK residents took 101 million trips and spent £16.2 billion in England in 2006.

The agency has since launched a campaign to encourage British people to take holidays in their own country and to further encourage the one in five Brits who incorporate cultural experiences into their English holidays.