In 2018, 697,000 overseas visitors came to the Greater Philadelphia region, of which 112,000 are from the UK, according to a new report from the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau (PHLCVB) and Tourism Economics. While the city marked a 7.5% year-on-year increase in overseas visitors, Brits visitation increased by 3.1% YoY.

Overseas visitors also contributed USD 723 million in direct visitor spending, generating USD 1.2 billion in economic impact, the report said.

Julie Coker Graham, president and CEO of PHLCVB said: “Hospitality is one of the largest and fastest-growing employment sectors in Philadelphia because we continue to see visitation rise across all sectors. Overseas visitors are incredibly important as they account for 57% of all international visitation and 79% of all international visitor spending. In 2018 our team hosted 96 influential global media and 334 travel trade professionals in-market.”

The bureau also works with local industry partners like the Greater Philadelphia Hotel Association, Visit Philadelphia and the Philadelphia International Airport. In 2018, nine of Philadelphia’s ‘top 10’ overseas markets grew year-on-year (YOY). Its top five markets include the United Kingdom, China, Germany, India and France, respectively.