International visitors to London are on target to reach pre-September 11 levels this year, according to the London tourism organisation, Visit London.

During the first quarter of 2004, inbound visitor numbers rose by 10 per cent compared with 2003, to 2.5 million people, with expenditure up 11 per cent to £1.3bn.

London hotel occupancy has also risen in recent months, as has average room rate and yield. According to figures released by PKF, London hotels are significantly outperforming regional accommodation providers.

Visits to the capital’s free museums have also grown, with 2.13 million visits in May this year, up 0.9 per cent on 2003 and attendance levels are set to match the record visits of 2002 when over 27 million visits were made.

The chief executive of Visit London, David Campbell, said he was delighted with the figures.

“We are really beginning to see the fruits of our labour in our target markets, particularly in Europe and the US,” he said. “London continues to inspire, excite and entice visitors time and time again and we will continue to work hard to ensure that visitors make the most of their time in our vibrant capital.” Details: www.visitlondon.com