Brighton and Hove enjoys overseas visitor boost of £12m

While 345,000 foreigners visited the city in 2012 – up from 304,000 in 2011 – seafront traders insisted it had been a tough year due to the dire weather.

Tourism chiefs have described it as a “bumper year” for the city, hailing the London 2012 Olympics effect.

A spokesman for VisitBritain, who carried out the research, said: “It was a huge year for Brighton and Hove. “I think it is fair to say that the Olympics had an impact.

“Foreign visitors no doubt visited the seaside before, during and after the games and Brighton is probably their nearest option.”

However, local business leaders told The Argus that the increase did not have an impact on their takings.

Adam Chinery, from the Seafront Traders’ Association, also runs the Brighton Watersports Centre.

He said: “We didn’t really notice it down here. With Brighton, the weather is everything. Even if there were tens of thousands more visitors, if it’s raining then they won’t make it down to the seafront.

“It was a difficult summer.”

David Sewell, from the North Laine Traders, runs the Pavilion Gardens Cafe. He said: “I’m not necessarily surprised by the increase – especially given that it was the Olympics.

“However, I don’t think many local businesses felt the impact with regards their takings. When the weather is poor, tourists stay in their hotel rooms and don’t spend much money.

“It’s fantastic news more people are visiting Brighton but as always the weather is key.

“For the cafe, last year was the most difficult I have ever known.”

The VisitBritain study placed Brighton and Hove tenth nationally for overseas visitors last year.

Top was London with a total of 15.46 million across the 12 months.

Second was Edinburgh with more than 1.25million visitors followed by Manchester with 932,000, Birmingham with 713,000 and Liverpool with 550,000.

Making up the remainder of the top ten were Glasgow, Oxford, Cambridge, Bristol and Brighton and Hove.