The Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) has released figures showing that for foreign visitors, Edinburgh is the second most popular destination with the most dominant destination in the UK being the traditional capital, London.

Indeed, Edinburgh beat strong competition from other British cities, including Glasgow, Birmingham and Manchester.

For domestic visitors, London is still the most popular city break destination, followed in close second by Blackpool, leaving Edinburgh in third place.

Tony Wright, the chief exec of VisitBritain, said:

“Our international visitors’ choice of destination is heavily influenced by the increasing number of flights now arriving into our capitals and regional cities. For Britons, while city destinations are increasingly popular, it’s obvious that we still have an abiding affection for the traditional seaside holiday.”

He also said that the market for city breaks is becoming increasingly popular although it still depends upon basic aspects such as the price and availability of cheap flights.