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Inbound tourism jumps 18% in month after Brexit vote

The number of foreign visitors to the UK jumped 18% in July compared with a year earlier, new Tourism Alliance figures show.

As a weaker pound makes travelling overseas more expensive for UK residents, the number of Britons opting to remain in the UK also rose by 11%

London is at the centre of the mini UK-wide tourism boom, triggered by a sharp drop in sterling against other major currencies since the Brexit vote in June, the Financial Times reported.

The increases are providing a boost to UK retailers, hotel and entertainment groups.

However, the boom may not last.

“A lot of inbound tourism businesses, those that rely on international visitors, are actually holding off on their investment plans,” said Tourism Alliance director Kurt Jansen.

“The main concerns they have are about maintaining the arrangements that facilitate travel — open skies, soft checks for visas, EU drivers licence, health cards, consumer rights protection — many of which may cease to exist once Brexit is complete.”

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