Visits to the UK from overseas residents could top the 30 million mark for the first time next year, according to tourism organisation Visit Britain.
That figure - an increase of 4.4% on the 2005 total - was expected because of an anticipated rise in visitors from Asia and eastern Europe, it said.
But the UKinbound organisation was less optimistic, saying the figure would grow only slightly to 28 million.
The 7 July London bombings had put some people off travel to the UK, it added.
A Visit Britain spokesman said: "The increasing number of direct, low-cost services from eastern Europe to many regional airports across the UK is already resulting in rapid growth in inbound tourism, although largely in shorter-stay visits."
There would also be more visitors from Asia, particularly from China, after it relaxed strict visa regulations this summer.
"There will be slower growth from the Americas, even though many US airlines are planning to expand their international route networks, moving capacity away from the overcrowded domestic market," the spokesman added.
'Fragile' confidence
Visit Britain also predicts spending by overseas residents could reach £14.5bn - up 4.3% on the amount spent this year.
But UK inbound said consumer confidence in the UK as a tourist destination was "fragile".
"The July 2005 bombings in London ended two years of continuous growth for inbound tourism," a spokesman said.
"Although the damage was not as great as initially feared, recovery has been hampered by the unwarranted increase in visa fees, high oil prices and the sustained weakness of the US dollar."
The Visit London organisation said there had been a particular fall in the number of Britons visiting the capital since the London bombings.
But the British Hospitality Association (BHA) said there had been a boost in London's profile because of its hosting of the 2012 Olympics.
"We must continue to encourage more domestic short-break and long-break holidays, and our overseas marketing is critically important," chief executive Bob Cotton added. |