North American visitors to Britain spent $5.2 billion on the other side of the Atlantic last year, according to official figures.

VisitBritain has revealed that vacationers from the US spent 14.5 per cent more on British shores last year than in 2005, notwithstanding the increasing strength of sterling against the dollar.

Expenditure by American travelers now represents almost a fifth of UK tourism income.

There was a 15.4 per cent rise in the amount spent by US visitors on business trips in the UK, while leisure expenditure increased by 5.6 per cent.

Statistics compiled by VisitBritain also suggest that short breaks are becoming increasingly popular. More than a third of US arrivals spent between one and three nights.

Separate VisitBritan figures have indicated that an overseas visitor arrived in the UK for every minute of 2006.

In a bid to publicize the attractions available on the other side of ‘the Pond’, the online tourism resource has revamped its US website. The official website of the British tourism industry is also throwing its weight behind a new North American campaign entitled ‘Be A Brit Different’.

Anyone considering a vacation in the UK, however brief, should be sure to invest in suitable travel insurance.