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Edinburgh is the second most popular destination in the UK for foreign visitors, according to figures released by the Association of British Travel Agents (Abta).

The Scottish capital was second to London, the UK's traditionally dominant destination, but ahead of major cities such as Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow.

London welcomed some 13.9m visitors last year, while Edinburgh saw 1.13m foreign tourists, an increase of 21% on 2004, the Edinburgh Evening News reports.

In the domestic visitor market, London was again the most popular destination with 4.88m visits, followed by Blackpool (1.63m) and Edinburgh (1.37m).

Tom Wright, chief executive of VisitBritain, said that city breaks are becoming increasingly popular, but the market is still dependent on basic aspects such as flight availability.

"Our international visitors' choice of destination is heavily influenced by the increasing number of flights now arriving into our capitals and regional cities," he said.

"For Britons, while city destinations are increasingly popular, it's obvious that we still have an abiding affection for the traditional seaside holiday."

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