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Royal yacht visitor numbers jump

LONDON, England -- A record number of visitors stepped aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia during June as the UK celebrated Queen Elizabeth II's golden jubilee.

In June more than 35,000 visitors -- 50 percent more than the same time last year -- went to see the yacht where it is docked in Edinburgh, the yacht's managers said on Monday.

The attraction's managers told the British Press Association that they hoped the "unprecedented" level of interest would continue for the rest of the year.

The royal attraction had suffered a downturn in visitor numbers when the foot-and-mouth epidemic struck last year, they said.

In a recent survey of visitors, 21 percent more people said the yacht was rated as "very good," PA reported.

The survey, by Lynn Jones research, also showed that 85 percent of tourists thought the vessel to be "very good value for money".

The vessel attracts 275,000 UK and overseas visitors every year.