NINE out of ten tourists to Brighton and Hove are happy with their visits.

That is the result of a newly-published bi-annual survey undertaken on behalf of visitbrighton.com.

Those surveyed, which included both day trippers and overnight visitors, rated the overall enjoyment of their visit to the city highly, with an aggregate mark of 8.71 out of 10. ?

An even greater number – 8.9 out of 10 – said they were likely to recommend the city as a visitor destination to others.

And 8.76 out of 10 visitors said they were likely to return for a day trip or short stay.

Councillor Alan Robins, chairman of Brighton and Hove City Council economic development and culture committee, said: ”We know Brighton and Hove has a lot to offer so it’s reassuring to see that the majority of visitors are happy with their experience of the city.

“There’s a tremendous amount of work goes into making our city attractive for visitors and this includes not only the many businesses and workers in the tourism sector, but those who maintain our beautiful parks and open spaces, people who work hard to keep the beach and seafront clean and safe and our diverse community of residents who make it the vibrant and welcoming city it is.”

The survey found half of UK-based tourists had made the decision to come to Brighton less than a week before their arrival.

However, good weather was only cited as a reason by 12 per cent of tourists.

Overnight visitors provide a significantly higher boost to the economy than day visitors.

Including money spent on eating out, shopping, entertainment, travel and commercial accommodation, the average total spend for staying visitors was estimated to be £169.21 per person per 24-hour period compared with £130.98 in 2014.

Those visiting the city for a conference were among the highest spenders with an average of £254.57 spent within a 24-hour period.

The highest number of overseas visitors surveyed came from Spain, followed by Germany, America, France and Australia. The most popular attraction was Brighton Palace Pier, followed by the i360 and the Royal Pavilion.

David Marks, chairman of the i360, said: “As a new attraction iIt’s very encouraging to be recognised alongside so many other high-calibre landmarks .”