An increase in the number of British residents opting for "staycations" this year has helped boost visitor numbers at some of the UK's leading visitor attractions by 3.4 per cent.

New figures published by the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA) has shown that most sites have also reported an increase in retail and catering spend between 1 May and 31 August, compared with the same period in 2008. Between June and August, the National Portrait Gallery in London reported a 23 per cent increase in visitor numbers, while the National Trust has also seen more people visit its properties during both July and August by 8.1 per cent and 12.1 per cent on last year's figures respectively.

Luke Whitcomb, the National Trust's member and visitor marketing director, said: "At property level there's been a real drive this year to focus on the visitor experience. We want to give people the chance to get more involved in our work and provide them with an inspiring and very enjoyable visit." ALVA, which represents 42 visitor attractions, said that many of its members had reported an increase in foreign visitor numbers, despite a 9 per cent fall in inbound tourism numbers during the early months of 2009.

Robin Broke, ALVA director, said: "It is most reassuring to see that the 'staycation' trend predicted by ALVA's members has translated into profitable business as it is vital for Britain that our tourism industry thrives, allowing it to maintain employment opportunities across all skill levels and to provide economic growth." A spokesperson for Historic Scotland, which has seen an 8 per cent increase in visitor numbers across its 345 attractions in Scotland, added: "The economy and the weather have worked in our favour this year on two fronts - we've seen more Europeans coming and people within the UK have been looking for value for money days out."