CUMBRIA'S tourism industry is benefitting from an increase in international visitors, reflecting a wider national trend.

The UK saw strong growth in 2017 from a mix of overseas visitor markets including China, Australia, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), India and the United States, underpinning a record year for inbound tourism.

New figures from VisitBritain show double-digit growth in visits and spend last year from China, the world’s most valuable outbound market, with visits up 29 per cent on 2016 to a record 337,000 and spending of £694 million, up 35 per cent.

Lake District hotelier Jonathan Denby said that his business was benefitting 'hugely' from an increase in overseas visitors, particularly from China and the USA.

"It’s great to see American visitors returning, after an absence of many years," he said. "This is the Brexit dividend - Americans are flocking to Britain on the back of a weaker pound.

"The Chinese visitors are extra special as so many of them are young- they come to the Lake District for adventure and can’t believe how beautiful it is here."

Nationally, visits from the USA, the UK’s most valuable market for tourism spend, grew 13 per cent to 3.9 million in 2017, the highest since 2000. Visitors from America spent a record £3.6 billion, up nine per cent.

Records were also set for visits and spend from the GCC and India. There were 562,000 visits from India with tourists spending a record £454 million. And there were a record 812,000 inbound visits from the GCC in 2017, up five per cent, with spend up to £2.2 billion.

Gill Haigh, managing director of Cumbria Tourism said: “The USA, China and Australia are all key target markets for the Lake District, Cumbria.

"India and the Gulf states are also important emerging markets for the county and these national trends tie in with the work we’re doing at a regional level to increase visitor spend from overseas visitors.

"The accolade of double World Heritage Status for both the Lake District and Hadrian’s Wall has underlined Cumbria’s world-class credentials and appeal internationally, and new flights into Northern England from China, the USA and Europe are also helping increase the diversity of visitors from other parts of the globe."