Visitor numbers fall
The strong pound and growing competition from European destinations contributed to a 1% drop in both the number of overseas visitors to the UK and the amount they spent, according to the British Tourist Authority (BTA).
The UK attracted 25.4 million visitors during 1999, spending a total of £12.5b, says the BTA's annual report.
The biggest loss was in the number of visitors from the rest of Europe, where numbers dropped by 3% to 16.8 million and their total spending fell by 5% to £5.97b.
The number of long-haul visitors from the West and the amount they spent also declined by 1%, to five million visitors and £3.2b.
But the number of long-haul visitors flying from the East climbed by 8% to 3.6 million, while their spending grew by 6% to £3.3b.
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