The British tourism industry has received a glimmer of hope after months of dejection and losses caused by foot and mouth, with better-than-expected figures for overseas tourism visits.

In figures published by the Office of National Statistics, arrival figures of overseas visitors to the UK in May fell by 8 per cent on the year before, compared with a 22 per cent drop for April.

In addition, reports from the British Tourist Authority's 27 overseas offices show the response to its media campaigns and promotional activities has been 'very positive indeed'.

BTA chair, David Quarmby, says that while much has been achieved by the campaigns, the problem remains: The tide is beginning to turn, but there is still a long, long way to go. Britain's image has been damaged and in the longer term we need to rebuild that image if we are to maintain Britain's position as one of the world's top five destinations.