Pouring in

ON A gloomy Wednesday morning, the threat of yet another torrential downpour does little to halt the flow of tourists into the British Museum, the country’s most popular attraction. Visitors march in, a mass of fluorescent waterproof jackets huddled under flimsy umbrellas. It is on such fortitude that the British travel industry runs.

Despite the near certainty of inclement weather, tourism is in rude health. Following four years of growing visitor numbers, 16.8m people journeyed to Britain in the first six months of 2015, the best first half of a year on record. Domestic holidays have also become more common. Since the recession, which encouraged people to save money by heading to Torquay rather than Tuscany, holidaymakers have developed a taste for staying in Britain, says Louise Stewart of VisitEngland, the national tourist board. Hotels are making the most of the extra demand: the average price of a room is 3.4% higher than last year, according to STR Global, a research firm.