A record was also set for visits from the high-spending UAE, up 34 percent in 2015 to 347,000 with spend up 12 percent to 487 million pounds, it added.

"Britain boasts some of the best attractions in the world and drawing more visitors in from key markets like China and the United States is fantastic news for the whole country and shows our tourism strategy is working," said David Evennett, British Tourism Minister.

"Tourism is a fiercely competitive global industry so it is fantastic to see Britain competing strongly in our most valuable source markets. Our innovative digital marketing campaign continues to drive tourism across our nations and regions, spreading its economic benefits across the UK," said Patricia Yates, VisitBritain director.