Latest estimates suggest that £29.5 billion will be spent by international visitors in the UK this year, up 4% on pre-Covid 2019.
A total of 35.1 million inbound visits are projected by VisitBritain, 86% of pre-pandemic levels.
Spending by American tourists to the UK is already up 40%.
The tourism body revealed new figures showing that visitors spent an additional £673 million across Britain as a result of activity by VisitBritain/VisitEngland between April 2021 and June 2022.
The agency’s latest research also found that more than a third of Britons are more likely to choose a domestic trip in the next six months, compared to pre-pandemic.
The figures were released ahead of its annual review event ‘Driving change and building value’ being held on March 22 during English Tourism Week and just over a year since the lifting of Covid-related international travel restrictions.
VisitBritain has also continued its work with the travel trade to make sure Britain’s tourism offer is sold internationally. As well as leisure travel, it is supporting the business events industry to recover and rebuild, enabling destinations to win international conferences and exhibitions.
British Tourist Authority chairman Nick de Bois admitted there were also fresh challenges faced by the sector.
“As businesses rebuild they now also face increasing costs and long-standing workforce shortages that have been exacerbated by the pandemic,” he said
“Working with the government and industry we are determined to play our part in rebuilding a more resilient, sustainable and accessible visitor economy, equipped to withstand these and future challenges.”
Discussing the latest tourism forecast, de Bois said: “Almost a year to the day since travel restrictions were lifted marks a timely opportunity to bring industry together and acknowledge the incredible resilience and innovation of tourism businesses across the country, as we emerge from what must surely be the most challenging period the sector has ever faced.
“With spring upon us it is also timely to shine the spotlight on Britain’s outstanding visitor offer, the industry’s economic importance and tourism’s ability to drive growth for the British economy.”
VisitBritain’s priority was to continue to build back visitor spending, competing hard in markets seeing strong recovery and driving urgency to book a trip to Britain today, he added.