THIS JUNE was a record month for Britain's tourism industry, according to new figures.

There were a record 3.5 million visits to the UK in June, VisitBritain have confirmed, up seven per cent on the same month last year.

In total the UK saw 3.5 million overseas visits in the month, with and visitors spending £2.2 billion. The biggest growth came from the North American market, with a 35 per cent more visits than the previous year.

The first six months of this year saw a record-breaking 19.1 million overseas visits, worth £10.6 billion.