The number of overseas residents visiting the UK rose by 1.7 million in 2014, 5.2 per cent more than 2013 according to data just released by the Office of National Statistics.

It's not just the London which has felt the benefits of the influx of tourists from abroad. National self-catering letting agent holidaycottages.co.uk have experienced an increase of 27.7 per cent in bookings from overseas residents, with three quarters heading for the South West and 20 per cent holidaying in Scottish cottages.

Managing Director James Morris said “It's refreshing to see overseas visitor numbers to the UK rising year on year and a credit to the country's tourism industry for increasing and improving its offering to foreigners, both in terms of attractions and standard of accommodation.”

“We have a number of foreign websites and we are seeing record numbers of bookings and searches from Europe and further afield. Our 2015 figures suggest the upwards trend will continue as more and more people from overseas plan to enjoy our beautiful country and its world-class events.”

Residents from France made the most visits to the UK in 2014 (according to the ONS, May 2015) and were among the top 5 nationalities booking self-catering breaks with holidaycottages.co.uk. The nationality which made the most bookings with holidaycottages.co.uk, however, was German, accounting for a quarter of their foreign bookings. Neighbouring Netherlands made the second highest number of bookings, increasing by a third compared to the previous 12 months.

The most notable increase in self-catering bookings for the company was from Australian visitors, with over 40 per cent more than the previous year, perhaps inspired by Prince William and Kate's 2014 visit to their own country.

Americans, too, were in the top 5 nationalities booking their self-catering cottage in the UK, favouring Scotland for a cottage break. They were attracted, no doubt, by the country's distinct history and heritage and the beautiful landscapes showcased in films such as Braveheart, Harry Potter, Skyfall and recent British-American TV series Outlander.

Germans, Dutch and Australians, on the other hand, preferred South West destinations. Three quarters of visitors from Germany headed to the South West, maybe lured by the promise of the scenery featured in the popular televised films of Rosamunde Pilcher's West Country-based stories.

According to holidaycottages.co.uk's statistics, only 4 per cent of Australians opted for a Scottish holiday, compared to 22 per cent of Germans.

2015 looks set to see foreign visitor numbers rise further, with foreign bookings already up on last year with over 6 months to go and sporting events such as the Rugby World Cup and the Ashes test matches encouraging overseas visitors to holiday in the UK.

About holidaycottages.co.uk
An award-winning national business, holidaycottages.co.uk specialises in letting holiday properties all across the UK including dog-friendly cottages, family properties and romantic, group and accessible holidays. Holidaycottages.co.uk let everything from cosy barn conversions on working farms, to grand mansions and country houses sleeping multiple numbers of guests.

Notes to editor:
• Holidaycottages.co.uk is an independent company and features 2,000 self-catering properties in popular holiday destinations across the UK.
• Winners of the Best Medium Holiday Cottage Booking Company 2014 at the British Travel Awards.
• The company offers a high standard of personally inspected holiday cottages which can be booked online via their user-friendly website, or over the phone with their Reservations Team.
• The company has been working with the Green Tourism Business Scheme – a nationally recognised scheme organised by Visit Britain – and currently hold the Gold award.

For more press information or hi-res photographs contact:
Emma Southcombe on 01237 459 809 or email esouthcombe@holidaycottages.co.uk