Figures released by UKinbound show a decrease in overseas visitors to the UK.

UKinbound, a trade organisation representing the UK’s inbound tourism industry, has revealed its October figures, which show that visitor numbers are down 3.4% and forward bookings are down 0.5% – fuelling concern about the US and UK economies and adding caution to tourists’ 2008 travel plans.

The organisation states long-haul business as the area most affected by the economic situation, with North American traffic suffering the most as US consumer confidence decreases. The weakness of the US dollar – with the Post Office quoting the current USD / GBP exchange rate to be at 1.94 – also continues to be a concern for the industry.

On the plus side, figures show that European business is performing better – something that could continue into 2008 if the Euro continues to appreciate against the sterling.

These October figures reflect the poor summer suffered by the UK tourism industry. Although September’s visitor arrival statistics were marginally higher than the previous year, up 0.4%, August’s figures were well down at 5.1% lower than 2006.

UKinbound represents over 230 UK tourism companies. Its October statistics, as with every month, compare visitor numbers and booking forecasts with the previous year and are based on a confidential survey of its online members.