New figures have shown a 2 per cent increase in the number of inbound visitors to the UK for the three months ending June 2010, compared with the previous quarter.

According to the Office of National Statistics (ONS), 7.4 million travellers visited the UK during the three-month period, which generated £4.3bn in earnings. The number of trips abroad by UK residents also grew. However, the quarterly figures for April-June 2010 have decreased 3 per cent on the same period in 2009, while there was also a 9 per cent drop in the number of UK residents travelling abroad compared with last year.

Mike Saul, head of hospitality and leisure at Barclays Corporate, said: "International visitor numbers in the UK continue to make the upward journey from what was a very depressed base, while UK travellers are also moving back to more recognisable travel habits post-recession. "However, the year on year figures demonstrate just how much the recession has impacted both inward and outbound travel, and how far the industry still has to go."