Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Americans flew back to the UK in large numbers after the travel ban was lifted
American tourists are coming back to the UK, with over twice as many travelling to the UK in January 2019 compared to the same month last year.
The number of American visitors increased by 41.9% to 270,000, according to the Office for National Statistics.
Turkey was the most popular destination, followed by the Caribbean and Israel.
It comes after the US lifted its travel ban in August 2017 following the London terror attack.
Mark Davidson, foreign policy adviser to Prime Minister Theresa May, said the UK’s openness helped reassure people about travel.
“The UK is a global city with huge appeal to international visitors,” he said.
“We want to help grow Britain’s global brand. The UK has a proud heritage of openness, which has helped to make us such a sought-after destination and I believe our open approach will help us continue to do so.”
Qatar Airways vice-president Abdul Rahman Mattar said the surge in travel had been a “result of trust and confidence the UK government has shown in encouraging visitors from key markets such as the US”.
Overall, visitors to the UK rose by 2.9% to 23.6 million in January 2019, but overseas trips fell by 4.2% to 31.3 million over the same period last year.
According to figures from the ONS, the number of American tourists to the UK went up by 34.9% between January 2018 and January 2019.
The second most popular holiday destination was Turkey, with more than 100,000 American visitors in January, followed by the Caribbean and then Israel.
The United States was the most popular UK holiday destination during the last 12 months, with 2.7 million Americans making trips to the UK.