“These numbers prove that our great capital is without a doubt the best place on earth to visit,” says Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, after London welcomed a record 5.1 million international visitors between April and June.

It is six per cent more than the same period last year, according to the Office for National Statistics International Passenger Survey.

The national picture is also positive with 9.9 million international visitors coming to the UK between April and June 2015, five per cent more than the same period last year.

Over half of these international visits to the UK were to London.

Over the past five years (2009-2014), the number of overseas visitors coming to London has risen by 22.5 per cent.

According to MasterCard in the Global Cities Index report, London is forecast to host 18.82 million international visitors in 2015 putting the city ahead of Bangkok and Paris.