British Airways and VisitBritain have joined forces in a new campaign that gives an insider’s view on modern Britain, with all its vibrancy and warmth, to inspire US visitors to book their next visit.

Britain will bring back sales tax-free shopping for overseas visitors to boost the country’s flagging retail sector, finance minister Kwasi Kwarteng said on Friday.

The number of international visits to Britain continue to grow, with visitors spending more and inbound tourism setting new records for visits in the first six months of 2015 and very strong quarter two figures from the Office of National Statistics show. Britain has welcomed three per cent more visits over the first six months of 2015, beating last year’s record figures for the same period. Spending in the first six months of 2015 increased by two per cent, contributing £9.5 billion to the UK economy.

Following on from the success of hosting the world’s largest and most watched sporting extravaganza, a new multi-million pound joint marketing push from British Airways and VisitBritain has been launched.

As the curtain closed on the Games of the XXX Olympiad, VisitBritain, the national tourism agency, released initial findings on how the hosting of the London 2012 Games has showcased Britain to the world - and how the agency plans to make the most of this opportunity.

Figures from the latest International Passenger Survey (IPS) show inbound tourism has delivered all-time record revenue to Britain over the past 12 months with more holiday visitors than ever before.