tourism statistics for uk

Travel, Tourism & Hospitality

• Inbound tourist visits to the UK 2002-2023

Number of overseas resident visits to the United Kingdom (UK) from 2002 to 2022, with a forecast for 2023 (in millions)

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United Kingdom

2002 to 2022

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¹ 2023 data has been forecast by Visit Britain as of July 18, 2023, based on various sources, including passenger numbers by mode of transport and figures on flight bookings. Please find here additional information related to the methodology. Estimates based on the International Passenger Survey (IPS) . Interviews are conducted with passengers arriving and departing from the country and include visits for all purposes, including for vacation, business, study, visiting friends and family, and other leisure purposes. The annual (non-forecast) results are as reported by the Office for National Statistics .

Other statistics on the topic Travel and tourism in the United Kingdom (UK)

Leisure Travel

• Leading outbound travel destinations from the UK 2019-2022
• Leading UK cities for international tourism 2019-2022, by visits
• Travel and tourism's total contribution to GDP in the UK 2019-2022

Accommodation

• Most popular hotel brands in the UK Q3 2023
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Statistics on " Travel and tourism in the United Kingdom (UK) "

• Distribution of travel and tourism expenditure in the UK 2019-2022, by type
• Distribution of travel and tourism expenditure in the UK 2019-2022, by tourist type
• Travel and tourism's total contribution to employment in the UK 2019-2022
• Median full-time salary in tourism and hospitality industries in the UK 2023
• CPI inflation rate of travel and tourism services in the UK 2023
• Inbound tourist visits to the UK 2019-2022, by purpose of trip
• Leading inbound travel markets in the UK 2019-2022, by number of visits
• Leading inbound travel markets in the UK 2023, by growth in travel demand on Google
• Number of overnight stays by inbound tourists in the UK 2004-2022
• International tourist spending in the UK 2004-2023
• Leading inbound travel markets for the UK 2019-2022, by spending
• Number of outbound tourist visits from the UK 2007-2022
• Outbound tourism visits from the UK 2019-2022, by purpose
• Leading outbound travel markets in the UK 2023, by growth in travel demand on Google
• Number of outbound overnight stays by UK residents 2011-2022
• Outbound tourism expenditure in the UK 2007-2022
• Domestic overnight trips in Great Britain 2010-2022
• Domestic tourism trips in Great Britain 2018-2022, by purpose
• Number of domestic overnight trips in Great Britain 2022, by destination type
• Number of tourism day visits in Great Britain 2011-2022
• Total domestic travel expenditure in Great Britain 2019-2022
• Domestic overnight tourism spending in Great Britain 2010-2022
• Expenditure on domestic day trips in Great Britain 2011-2022
• Average spend on domestic summer holidays in the United Kingdom (UK) 2011-2023
• Number of accommodation businesses in the United Kingdom (UK) 2008-2021
• Number of accommodation enterprises in the United Kingdom (UK) 2018-2021, by type
• Turnover of accommodation businesses in the United Kingdom (UK) 2008-2021
• Turnover of accommodation services in the United Kingdom (UK) 2015-2021, by sector
• Number of hotel businesses in the United Kingdom (UK) 2008-2021
• Consumer expenditure on accommodation in the UK 2005-2022
• Attitudes towards traveling in the UK 2023
• Travel frequency for private purposes in the UK 2023
• Travel frequency for business purposes in the UK 2023
• Share of Britons taking days of holiday 2019-2023, by number of days
• Share of Britons who did not take any holiday days 2019-2023, by gender
• Share of Britons who did not take any holiday days 2019-2023, by age
• Leading regions for summer staycations in the UK 2023
• Preferred methods to book the next overseas holiday in the UK October 2022, by age
• Travel & Tourism market revenue in the United Kingdom 2018-2028, by segment
• Travel & Tourism market revenue growth in the UK 2019-2028, by segment
• Revenue forecast in selected countries in the Travel & Tourism market in 2024
• Number of users of package holidays in the UK 2018-2028
• Number of users of hotels in the UK 2018-2028
• Number of users of vacation rentals in the UK 2018-2028

Other statistics that may interest you Travel and tourism in the United Kingdom (UK)

• Basic Statistic Travel and tourism's total contribution to GDP in the UK 2019-2022
• Basic Statistic Distribution of travel and tourism expenditure in the UK 2019-2022, by type
• Basic Statistic Distribution of travel and tourism expenditure in the UK 2019-2022, by tourist type
• Basic Statistic Travel and tourism's total contribution to employment in the UK 2019-2022
• Premium Statistic Median full-time salary in tourism and hospitality industries in the UK 2023
• Premium Statistic CPI inflation rate of travel and tourism services in the UK 2023

Inbound tourism

• Basic Statistic Inbound tourist visits to the UK 2002-2023
• Premium Statistic Inbound tourist visits to the UK 2019-2022, by purpose of trip
• Basic Statistic Leading inbound travel markets in the UK 2019-2022, by number of visits
• Premium Statistic Leading inbound travel markets in the UK 2023, by growth in travel demand on Google
• Premium Statistic Number of overnight stays by inbound tourists in the UK 2004-2022
• Premium Statistic International tourist spending in the UK 2004-2023
• Premium Statistic Leading inbound travel markets for the UK 2019-2022, by spending
• Premium Statistic Leading UK cities for international tourism 2019-2022, by visits

Outbound tourism

• Premium Statistic Number of outbound tourist visits from the UK 2007-2022
• Premium Statistic Outbound tourism visits from the UK 2019-2022, by purpose
• Premium Statistic Leading outbound travel destinations from the UK 2019-2022
• Premium Statistic Leading outbound travel markets in the UK 2023, by growth in travel demand on Google
• Premium Statistic Number of outbound overnight stays by UK residents 2011-2022
• Premium Statistic Outbound tourism expenditure in the UK 2007-2022

Domestic tourism

• Premium Statistic Domestic overnight trips in Great Britain 2010-2022
• Premium Statistic Domestic tourism trips in Great Britain 2018-2022, by purpose
• Premium Statistic Number of domestic overnight trips in Great Britain 2022, by destination type
• Premium Statistic Number of tourism day visits in Great Britain 2011-2022
• Premium Statistic Total domestic travel expenditure in Great Britain 2019-2022
• Premium Statistic Domestic overnight tourism spending in Great Britain 2010-2022
• Premium Statistic Expenditure on domestic day trips in Great Britain 2011-2022
• Premium Statistic Average spend on domestic summer holidays in the United Kingdom (UK) 2011-2023
• Premium Statistic Number of accommodation businesses in the United Kingdom (UK) 2008-2021
• Premium Statistic Number of accommodation enterprises in the United Kingdom (UK) 2018-2021, by type
• Premium Statistic Turnover of accommodation businesses in the United Kingdom (UK) 2008-2021
• Premium Statistic Turnover of accommodation services in the United Kingdom (UK) 2015-2021, by sector
• Premium Statistic Number of hotel businesses in the United Kingdom (UK) 2008-2021
• Basic Statistic Most popular hotel brands in the UK Q3 2023
• Premium Statistic Consumer expenditure on accommodation in the UK 2005-2022

Travel behavior

• Premium Statistic Attitudes towards traveling in the UK 2023
• Premium Statistic Travel frequency for private purposes in the UK 2023
• Premium Statistic Travel frequency for business purposes in the UK 2023
• Premium Statistic Share of Britons taking days of holiday 2019-2023, by number of days
• Premium Statistic Share of Britons who did not take any holiday days 2019-2023, by gender
• Premium Statistic Share of Britons who did not take any holiday days 2019-2023, by age
• Premium Statistic Leading regions for summer staycations in the UK 2023
• Premium Statistic Preferred methods to book the next overseas holiday in the UK October 2022, by age
• Premium Statistic Travel & Tourism market revenue in the United Kingdom 2018-2028, by segment
• Premium Statistic Travel & Tourism market revenue growth in the UK 2019-2028, by segment
• Premium Statistic Revenue forecast in selected countries in the Travel & Tourism market in 2024
• Premium Statistic Number of users of package holidays in the UK 2018-2028
• Premium Statistic Number of users of hotels in the UK 2018-2028
• Premium Statistic Number of users of vacation rentals in the UK 2018-2028

Further related statistics

• Premium Statistic Monthly tourist visits from Europe to the UK 2018-2023
• Premium Statistic Number of inbound visits to the UK 2019-2022, by age group
• Premium Statistic Europe: growth in international tourist arrivals from Africa1980-2030
• Premium Statistic Europe: growth in international tourist arrivals from the Americas1980-2030
• Premium Statistic Italy: number of British tourist arrivals in 2015, by month
• Premium Statistic Italy: number of overnight stays of Austrians in 2015, by region of destination
• Premium Statistic Italy: number of British tourist arrivals in 2015, by region of destination
• Premium Statistic International overnight tourist arrivals in Austria 2008-2018
• Premium Statistic Italy: number of overnight stays of British tourist in 2015, by region of destination
• Premium Statistic Italy: number of French tourist arrivals in 2015, by region of destination
• Premium Statistic Passenger arrivals on scheduled flights to the Balearic Islands in 2019, by month
• Premium Statistic Visitor arrivals by land in Gibraltar 2000-2020
• Basic Statistic Growth rate of international arrivals to Northern Europe 2013-2018, by country
• Basic Statistic Growth rate of international arrivals to Southern Europe and North Africa 2013-2018
• Basic Statistic Number of tourist arrivals in Egypt 2012-2018, by month
• Premium Statistic Number of domestic trips by water transport Indonesia 2012-2021

Further Content: You might find this interesting as well

• Monthly tourist visits from Europe to the UK 2018-2023
• Number of inbound visits to the UK 2019-2022, by age group
• Europe: growth in international tourist arrivals from Africa1980-2030
• Europe: growth in international tourist arrivals from the Americas1980-2030
• Italy: number of British tourist arrivals in 2015, by month
• Italy: number of overnight stays of Austrians in 2015, by region of destination
• Italy: number of British tourist arrivals in 2015, by region of destination
• International overnight tourist arrivals in Austria 2008-2018
• Italy: number of overnight stays of British tourist in 2015, by region of destination
• Italy: number of French tourist arrivals in 2015, by region of destination
• Passenger arrivals on scheduled flights to the Balearic Islands in 2019, by month
• Visitor arrivals by land in Gibraltar 2000-2020
• Growth rate of international arrivals to Northern Europe 2013-2018, by country
• Growth rate of international arrivals to Southern Europe and North Africa 2013-2018
• Number of tourist arrivals in Egypt 2012-2018, by month
• Number of domestic trips by water transport Indonesia 2012-2021

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80+ UK Tourism Statistics [2024 update]

Reviving inbound tourism: the uk's journey to recovery.

• The latest inbound tourism forecast for 2023 anticipates 37.5 million visits, an impressive 92% recovery compared to the pre-pandemic level in 2019.
• In 2023, inbound visitors are projected to spend £30.9 billion, surpassing the 2019 level by 109% in nominal terms.
• Travel and tourism’s total contribution to the UK’s GDP in 2017 was 5.3%. By 2028, travel and tourism’s contribution to the UK’s GDP is expected to decrease significantly to only 2%.
• Overseas residents made 31.2 million visits to the UK in 2022.
• By 2024 and 2025, both domestic and international tourism in the UK is projected to bounce back to pre-pandemic levels.
• Ranked the sixth largest in the world, the UK tourism industry generates £155.4 billion in revenue for the UK economy annually.
• In 2022, London remained the most visited city by international visitors with just over 16 million international visits. However, this figure was approximately 26% lower than the pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
• Edinburgh and Manchester welcomed a considerable number of tourists in 2022 — 1.8 million and 1.2 million respectively — making them the second and third most popular destinations.
• In 2022, the United States topped the list as the leading inbound travel market for the UK based on the number of visits, with approximately 4.6 million inbound trips from American travelers.
• Following closely were tourist arrivals from France, the Republic of Ireland, and Germany.
• In 2019, Americans spent a record £4.18bn while visiting the UK.
• In 2022, overseas visitors to the UK enjoyed an average stay of 8.4 nights, compared to just over 7 nights in 2019.
• The National History Museum, Brighton Pier, and the British Museum topped the list of the most popular free attractions in England in 2022.
• The Tower of London, the Royal Botanic Gardens, and the RHS Garden Wisley topped the list of the most popular paid attractions in England in 2022.
• The Windsor Great Park was the most visited tourist attraction throughout the UK in 2022, attracting 5.6 million visitors.

A surge in travel staycations: UK domestic tourism statistics

• Between April and December 2021, Brits enjoyed nearly 45 million overnight stays within the UK.
• In 2021, domestic travelers in the UK spent £98.7 billion on trips around the UK.
• In 2019, British tourists embarked on almost 123 million domestic holidays.
• The number of outbound international travel trips in 2019 amounted to 93 million.
• Brits took an average of 2.3 domestic vacations between September 2021 and August 2022.
• 20% of Brits say that the South West of the UK is their top destination for overnight domestic trips during summer.
• With staycations on the rise, Brits spent an average of almost £770 on UK getaways in 2021.
• Throughout 2022, British residents made 1.1 billion day trips to places within the UK, spending £45 billion on these trips alone.

Adventure tourism statistics: Visitors to the UK have caught the adventure bug

• The UNWTO reports that the UK boasts Europe’s largest adventure tourism market, accounting for 19% of the world's adventure travel tourists.
• By 2024, the adventure tourism industry revenue is projected to reach £3.8 billion.
• From 2011 to 2019, spending on adventure and water sports in the UK increased from £1.5 billion to £1.8 billion.
• The number of people taking part in adventure and water sports activities in the UK has also increased from 57 million in 2011 to 100 million in 2019.
• In 2021, UK spending on camping trips rose to £2.7 billion.
• In 2019, outdoor-related activities in urban settings accounted for over 60% of all nature-based spending.
• 59% of European millennials have had at least one kind of adventure experience.

Healthcare tourism statistics beyond borders: Medical tourism in the UK is on the rise

• The UK medical tourism market is expected to reach a valuation of over £17 billion by 2032.
• The global medical tourism market is projected to be worth $35.9 billion by 2032.
• In 2020, the UK ranked fifth in the global destination environment ranking for medical tourism.
• In 2021, a total of 34,000 inbound visits to the UK were for medical treatment.
• Of the 34,000 medical tourists in 2021, 62% were from countries in the EU-15, and less than 3% were from North America.
• Tourist spending on medical treatment in the UK is between £178 million to £325 million annually.
• Inbound medical travelers and their companions contribute approximately £219 million to the UK economy through additional tourism expenditures every year.
• Dental care, cosmetic surgery, fertility treatments, organ and tissue transplantation, and cancer treatment top the list of popular procedures for medical tourism trips.

Sports tourism statistic scoring big: Football rules UK sports tourism

• In 2022, 76.2 million people attended professional sporting events throughout the UK.
• According to the latest figures, inbound tourism expenditure on sport and recreation reached an impressive £231 million in the UK.
• In 2019, around 1.5 million inbound visitors attended a live football match, accounting for approximately 1 in every 27 visitors.
• Football is the number one sporting attraction for international tourists visiting the UK, with over 800,000 visitors annually attending a football match.
• Cricket is the second biggest sporting draw with 225,000 annual visitors.
• Since 2010, the value of sport to the UK economy has increased by 40%.
• In 2019, inbound football tourists spent an average of £909 per visit, 31% higher than the average visitor spend of £696 by other inbound tourists.
• In 2019, the Old Trafford Stadium in Manchester and the Anfield Stadium in Liverpool had the highest attendance at 440,000 tourist visits.
• The amount spent on golfing activities in the UK grew by 40% between 2011 and 2019, from £800 million to £1.1 billion

Business tourism statistics: Meetings, incentive trips, and exhibitions fuel the business tourism boom in the UK

• In 2022, there were 5.1 million visits to the UK for business reasons.
• Business contributed £5.8 billion in spend in 2019, representing an incredible 20% of all inbound spend.
• Business travelers tend to make flying visits to the UK. In 2019, almost two-thirds of all business visits to the UK lasted between 1 and 3 nights.
• Unlike typical tourism flows, business visits to the UK don't show much seasonality, which means there's a steady number of visitors year-round.
• In 2019, Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) made up nearly one-third of all UK business trip expenses, with visitors spending a hefty £1.7 billion.
• In 2019, conferences, conventions, and congresses took the lead among the MICE sub-categories, accounting for 742,000 visits and a whopping total spend of £716 million.
• Large meetings consisting of over 21 people in 2019 accounted for approximately 7% of all business visits (646,000 visits in total), and these travelers spent £573 million.
• In 2019, incentive and team-building trips made 67,000 visits and spent £69 million, making them one of the top-spending business groups with an expenditure of £1,039 per visit.
• In 2019, attendees of exhibitions, events, and trade shows spent a total of £319 million during 319,000 visits.
• In 2021, UK residents made an estimated total of 8.3 million business trips.
• Two-thirds of UK businesses plan to boost business travel spend by 50% or more in 2023.
• The Travel and Tourism Development Index ranked the UK as the fifth-best country for non-leisure travel worldwide in 2021, and the first-best country in Europe.
• Business travelers flocked to London in 2019, with a remarkable 3.98 million visits from abroad, solidifying its position as the top business travel destination in the UK.
• The average cost of a business trip to London has risen by 15% since 2022.
• As of 2023, London is the third most expensive business travel location in Europe.
• Ranked as the eighth most expensive city in the world for business travel, a trip to London costs around £497 per day visit.
• The average spend per domestic business trip in 2019 was £280.
• Over half of business trips to the UK turn into bleisure trips.

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Rural tourism statistics: the charm of rural tourism and sustainable travel is on the rise.

• A testament to its beauty, UK nature contributed a remarkable £12 billion to tourism and outdoor leisure in 2019.
• In 2021, the Gross Value Added (GVA) from tourism in Predominantly Rural areas was worth an impressive £11.5 billion.
• During 2019/20, rural areas boasted 66,800 registered tourist-related businesses, making up 11% of the total registered businesses in those regions.
• Tourism-related industries play a more substantial role in rural employment, representing 15% of the total workforce, compared to 11% in urban areas.
• The majority of UK travelers (71%) and US travelers (69%) say that sustainable travel practices are important to them and strive to make more eco-conscious journeys.
• 23% of UK travelers chose to travel to a destination closer to home in order to reduce their carbon footprint .
• In a bid to enhance rural tourism, Scotland allocated £3 million in 2022 to support 10 infrastructure projects, focusing on visitor facilities, access improvements, and promoting eco-friendly transport options.
• An estimated 34% of holidays in Wales involve camping or caravanning, compared to 20% in England and 21% in Scotland.

Music tourism is hitting high notes in the UK

• In 2022, the global music tourism market value was valued at $5.5 billion and is on track to rock 'n' roll all the way up to an incredible $11.3 billion by 2032.
• The thriving music tourism sector sustained a total of 56,000 jobs across the UK in 2022, massively contributing to overall tourism employment statistics in the country.
• In 2022, the UK’s music scene drew in an impressive 1.1 million foreign music tourists and 13.3 million domestic music tourists.
• 2022 marked a crescendo in music tourism spending in the UK, peaking at an impressive £6.6 billion — surpassing the pre-pandemic total in 2019 of £4.7 billion.
• Attracting a staggering 4.9 million music tourists, London is a major magnet for music lovers.
• Thanks to the draw of legendary groups The Beatles, The Stone Roses, and Oasis, the North West region is close behind with 1.9 million music tourists.
• 10% of British people would travel eight hours by plane to see their favorite artists.
• 63% of Brits have been on trips that combined travel with a gig or festival.
• New York and Barcelona are the top dream travel destinations for British music lovers.

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Great britain domestic overnight trips: latest results.

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Release date:

10 April 2024

Next release:

For further information, please contact [email protected] .

NOTE: This statistical release contains annual provisional estimates for 2023. This series will now be subject to a methodological review. Following this review, estimates published in this release will change. Please use caution in interpreting or using the provisional figures published here. Please see our Statement on methodological review for more details.

Report highlights

Domestic overnight trips in 2023:

The current data show a decline in 2023 overnight trips by 7% for both Great Britain and England.

These declines seem to be driven by holiday trips, which dropped by 14% and represent the second largest share of trips (32% in Britain and 31% in England). 

On the other hand, UK overnight stays as part of an overseas trip show an increase of 14% in Britain and 19% in England (in line with an increase in outbound trips) .

In 2023, a city or large town was a destination type with the largest share, 44% in Britain and 45% in England. 

45% of overnight trips in Britain / England included serviced accommodation.

In the below report, you can find figures for Great Britain and further details on  regions visited and trip characteristics (incl. trip purpose, main destination type and accommodation used).

View the latest report

Gb and england domestic overnight trips q4 2023 and 2023.

Publication date: 10th April 2024

Pre-release access

Pre-release access for the GBTS Q4 2023 and 2023 overall data was provided 24 hours ahead of publication to the following individuals:

VisitEngland : Patricia Yates, Andrew Stokes, Lyndsey Turner-Swift, Shivah Jahangir-Tafreshi, Louise Bryce, Tracey Edginton, Charlotte Sanders, Dipika Ghose, Thomas Clues, Rachael Farrington, Anke Monestel, Pauline Stobbs and James Sandy

DCMS : Duncan Parish, Ellie Fox, Heather Monro, Lata Mistry, Robyn Schaffer, Sarah Lasher, Sarah Stannard and Benjamin Kay

Supporting documents

Background quality report gbts 2023.

This document provides detailed information about the research methodology of Great Britain Tourism Survey.

GBTS Statement on methodological review (April 2024)

This document provides further information about the GBTS methodological review announced in April 2024.

About the survey

The Great Britain Tourism Survey (GBTS) is a national consumer survey measuring the volume and value of domestic overnight tourism trips taken by residents in Great Britain. GBTS also provides detailed information about trip and visitor characteristics.

The statistics from 2021 onwards below are based on a new combined online survey that replaced the separate Great Britain Tourism Survey and Great Britain Day Visits Survey that ran until the end of 2019. Take a read of the  methodology and quality report (PDF, 215KB)  to find out more including more details explaining why the new survey data is not comparable with data up until 2019 .

This page is showing only the latest reports and data available. Any previous reports and data, including data up to the end of 2019, can be found  on the GBTS archive page .

The Great Britain Tourism Survey (GBTS) is designated as official statistics, labelled as statistics in development and follows the  Code of Practice for Official Statistics (2022)  set by the Office for Statistics Regulation.

VisitEngland jointly sponsors the survey with our partners  VisitScotland  and  Visit Wales .

Related resources:

• Great Britain domestic day visits
• The Value of Tourism in England
• Domestic sentiment tracker
• England hotel occupancy
• Bank holiday TripTracker

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Tourism Statistics for the UK: Latest Facts and Figures

Last Updated: February 9, 2024

The UK’s travel and tourism industry has long been an important part of its economy, with tourists pouring billions of pounds into it every year. In fact, in 2019, the UK had a record number of visitors, with 40.86 million people coming into the country and spending over £28 billion while there.

However, with these numbers plummeting in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, the future of UK tourism is now more uncertain than ever.

In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the latest Tourism Statistics for the UK and see what trends are emerging. We’ll also look at the latest outbound and domestic tourism statistics and uncover where Brits love to go on holiday the most. So read on if you are interested to know more about tourism in the UK.

Top 10 UK Tourism Statistics

• In 2020, the UK had a total of 11.1 million inbound visits — 76% less than in 2019.
• In 2019, London was the most visited city in the UK, with nearly 21.7 million visits by international tourists.
• London Heathrow is the most used airport by international visitors, receiving over 11 million non-UK arrivals in 2019 alone.
• Spain is the most popular destination for outbound tourists from the UK, with 18.1 million visits made by UK residents in 2019.
• In 2019, UK residents made 93 million trips abroad, which dropped to 23.8 million in 2020.
• In 2020, UK residents spent a total of £13.8 billion on their trips abroad.
• In 2019, British tourists took nearly 123 million domestic holidays and only 93 million international holidays.
• London is the number one staycation destination in the UK.
• In 2020, the total contribution of tourism to the UK’s GDP was estimated at £89.6 billion.
• That same year, the travel and tourism industry in the UK generated 3.96 million jobs.

Inbound Tourism Statistics

Inbound tourism is vital to the UK economy, with visitors from overseas spending billions of pounds every year. In 2019, inbound tourism in the UK reached new heights, with a record number of visitors coming to the country.

The statistics below will show you the latest facts and figures relating to inbound tourism in the UK.

In 2020, the UK welcomed a total of 11.1 million visits from international tourists

The majority of those visits happened in the first quarter of 2020 before any travel restrictions were implemented. That is a 76% dip compared to 2019 when the UK received a staggering 40.86 million tourist visits.

The chart below gives a full overview of the number of inbound visits in the UK from 2012 to 2022.

The number of visits from international tourists to the UK is predicted to drop to 7.4 million in 2021 and rise to 21 million in 2022.

The expenditure of inbound visitors in the UK reached approximately £6.2 billion in 2020

That is a huge drop from the £28 billion spent in total by tourists in the UK in 2019.

The sharp decline of inbound visits to the United Kingdom is a direct consequence of the travel restrictions put in place because of the coronavirus pandemic. As you will see from the following statistics, inbound visits to the UK plummeted even more during 2021.

During the first three quarters of 2021, the UK had a total of 1.8 million inbound visits by air

That is a whopping 93% decrease compared to the same period in 2019. In addition, up to 1.3 million of those visits were made during the third quarter alone, which, when compared to the third quarter of 2019, is still a massive 86% decrease.

Taking holidays remains the leading reason for visiting the UK

In fact, in 2020, up to 4.4 million of all inbound visitors came to the UK for holiday purposes. That is still 74% fewer than in 2019 when there were a staggering 17 million vacationers in the UK.

The second most common reason for travelling to the UK in 2020 was visiting friends and relatives, with 3.4 million visitors, followed by business trips, accounting for 2.5 million visitors.

In 2019, the United States was the top travel market in the UK, with a total of 4.5 million trips made from the US to the UK

In addition, US residents spent approximately £4.2 million during their trips to the UK in 2019. That same year, the UK welcomed 3.5 million visitors from France, making it the second-ranked inbound travel market. Germany was ranked third with around 3.2 million visits, followed by the Irish Republic with 2.8 million, and Spain with 2.3 million visits.

Next, let’s take a look at how many tourists visit London on an annual basis.

In 2019, London was the most visited city in the UK, with almost 21.7 million visits made by international tourists

London overseas visitors far outnumber those of any other city in the country. The UK’s second and third-ranked most visited cities were Edinburgh and Manchester, each accounting for roughly 2.2 million and 1.7 million visitors, respectively.

Unfortunately, in 2020 those numbers declined significantly, with London receiving only a small fraction of the 2019 visits. The table below gives a full overview of how the coronavirus pandemic impacted tourism in London .

London Heathrow is the most used airport by international visitors in the UK

In 2019, London Heathrow received over 11 million non-UK arrivals. The other two most used airports by international visitors in the UK are London Gatwick and London Stansted.

Between July and September 2021, international travellers had around 21.5 million overnight stays in the UK

Although that is a significant increase over the first quarter of 2021, it is still well below the number of overnight stays in the UK in pre-pandemic times.

During the third quarter of 2021, inbound tourists spent a total of £1.2 billion on their trips to the UK

That is a remarkable increase compared to the first two quarters of 2021, when visitors in the UK spent only £0.25 billion and £0.39 billion, respectively. However, that figure is still way below the pre-pandemic standard. Namely, it is an 86% decrease compared to the same period in 2019 when inbound tourists spent £15.3 billion in the UK.

To conclude, although fewer tourists are visiting the UK at the moment, those who do come are still spending money while they’re here. That is good news for the economy, and it’s hoped that as travel restrictions ease and more people are able to travel again, we’ll see these numbers start to increase.

Outbound Tourism Statistics

Outbound tourism is defined as the travel of residents from their country of residence to another country for the purpose of leisure, recreation, or business.

There are many reasons people might choose to go on an outbound trip. Some might want to experience a different culture or see some of the world’s famous landmarks. Others might go on business trips or visit friends and relatives who live in another country.

Whatever the reason for travel, outbound tourism has a massive impact on the economy. In 2019, UK residents made over 93.1 million outbound visits, generating an estimated £62.3 billion in spending.

Keep on reading for the latest facts and figures on outbound tourism from the UK, including the most popular destination countries and the amount of money spent by UK tourists abroad.

Spain is the most popular destination for outbound tourists from the UK

In 2019, there were 18.1 million visits made to Spain by UK residents, followed by France, with 10.35 million visits, and Italy with almost half that, at 5.11 million visitors. The USA was the most visited country outside of Europe and the fourth most visited destination by UK residents overall, with 4.8 million UK residents travelling there in 2019.

These are the top 10 countries that Brits visited the most in 2019.

In 2020, the number of trips abroad made by UK residents stood at 23.8 million

By comparison, in 2019, the number of trips abroad from the UK reached 93 million. That is a remarkable 73% decline in the period of just a year. The outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic is the main reason for the decrease in the number of outbound visits in 2020 compared to previous years.

When looking at outbound tourism statistics, it’s also important to consider the reasons for travel.

The most common reason UK residents travel abroad is for holidays and leisure, with over 59 million visits made for that purpose in 2019

However, in 2020, that figure dropped to 14 million. Visiting friends and relatives was the second most common purpose for travelling outside the UK in 2019, accounting for roughly 23 million visits.

Similarly, that figure dropped to only 7 million in 2020.

In line with the decrease of outbound visits, the amount of money spent by UK residents while abroad plummeted in 2020 as well.

In 2020, UK residents spent a total of £13.8 billion on their trips abroad

Compared to the total amount spent on trips abroad in 2019, which stood at £62.3 billion, that is also a remarkable fall.

While the coronavirus pandemic has had a devastating effect on the tourism industry, there are signs that outbound travel from the UK is starting to pick up again.

In the third quarter of 2021 (July to September), there were 6.1 million visits made by UK residents to foreign countries

In addition, the vast majority of those visits, or 5.4 million, were made to Europe.

That is a substantial increase compared to the number of outbound visits made during the second quarter of 2021 (April to June), which stood at only 1 million. However, it should also be noted that the number of outbound visits in the third quarter of 2021 is still well below the levels seen at the same period in previous years.

In the third quarter of 2021, the number of nights spent on outbound visits reached around 103 million.

The number of overnight stays of UK residents abroad paints a similar picture, increasing substantially over the previous quarter but remaining well-below pre-pandemic levels.

Overall, it is expected that the number of outbound trips made by UK residents will start to increase again in 2022, as the pandemic comes to an end and travel restrictions are lifted. Still, it is improbable that we will see the same numbers we saw before the coronavirus outbreak anytime soon.

Domestic Holiday Statistics

While it is widely believed that the coronavirus pandemic has caused a so-called “staycation boom”, the truth is that Brits have always preferred vacationing within their own country rather than abroad.

In fact, in 2019, domestic tourism far outweighed inbound tourism , with British tourists taking nearly 123 million domestic holidays and only 93 million international holidays. That proves that the Brits have always been a staycation nation.

Read on for more domestic travel statistics.

In 2019, over 60 million of the total number of domestic trips in the UK were taken for vacation purposes

That same year, vacationing was the most common reason for travelling in the UK , followed by visiting friends or relatives and taking a business trip.

Additionally, British tourists preferred visiting cities and large towns over the countryside when taking day trips in the UK.

In 2019, British tourists took approximately 2.72 billion day trips for leisure activities within Great Britain 

Of those, around 1.66 billion fall within the tourism day trips category, defined as visits that last more than three hours to destinations other than where the visitor lives and do not visit regularly.

In July 2020, Google UK searches for “staycation” increased by over 500% compared to that same period a year before

That is a good indication that the pandemic has caused a surge in UK domestic travel . In addition, googling for terms such as “uk staycation” and “glamping holidays uk” increased by over 400%, further proving the growing interest of the UK population to vacation in their own country.

In 2020, domestic tourist spending in the UK amounted to £34 billion

That is a significant decrease over 2019 when domestic tourist spending peaked at £100.08 billion. Moreover, the average spending on domestic summer holidays taken by Brits in the UK has also decreased remarkably from 2019 to 2020.

In 2021, it was estimated that Brits would spend an average of £ 770 on domestic summer holidays

By comparison, in 2019, the average expenditure per person amounted to £874. These figures suggest that, aside from disrupting inbound and outbound tourism in the UK , the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic has also had a significant impact on domestic tourism.

London is the number one staycation destination in the UK

A survey conducted by holidaycottages.co.uk suggests that London was the most popular staycation spot in the UK in 2020. The capital received more visits than the popular beach destinations Cornwall and Devon, which both shared the second spot.

Edinburgh and Cumbria and the Lake District round up the top five domestic holiday locations for British tourists. 

How Does Tourism Contribute to the UK Economy?

Tourism is a key driver of the UK economy, supporting millions of jobs and generating billions of pounds in revenue every year. In 2019, the total contribution of tourism to the UK’s gross domestic product was estimated to be nearly £238 billion.

Check out the statistics below to gain some more insight into how the travel and tourism industry contributes to the UK economy.

Tourism in England generated £ 100.08 billion and supported 2.5 million jobs in 2019 alone

In fact, England tourism makes up over 80% of the UK’s tourism and visitor economy. Domestic day trips contribute the most to that amount, generating £56.5 billion. Inbound trips come second, with £24.8, followed by domestic overnight trips, which account for £19.5 billion of the total amount spent on tourism in England.

If you are interested in how tourism spending in England is spread across the country, take a look at the following statistic.

The majority of tourist spending takes place in London

In 2019, tourists in London spent a total of £33.2 billion, which is more than the next two regions combined. The South East came in second, with £13.1 billion in tourist spending, and the North East third, with £2.27 billion.

The table below gives a full overview of how tourist spending in England is spread across the country.

In 2020, the travel and tourism industry in the UK generated 3.96 million jobs

That is a substantial decrease compared to the 2019 figure of 4.27 million jobs. Again, the decrease is directly related to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting travel restrictions.

Take a look at how the travel and tourism industry has contributed to employment in the UK over the last few years.

The majority of jobs in the UK tourism industry are in food and beverage serving activities, with jobs in this sector reaching about 1.2 million in 2019. The next largest sector is sport and recreation activities, accounting for 482 thousand jobs in the tourism industry in 2019.

In 2020, the total contribution of tourism to UK GDP was estimated at £89.6 billion

That is a 62% decrease over the previous year when the total contribution of tourism to GDP in the UK peaked at £237.6 billion.

See the chart below for a full overview of how the travel and tourism industry has contributed to the UK’s GDP over the years.

Finally, let’s take a look at the latest travel and tourism market revenue statistics in the UK.

In 2021, the travel and tourism market revenue in the UK reached around 18.2 billion dollars

That is a slight increase from the year before and a sign that the UK tourism industry is beginning to recover from the effects of the pandemic.

While the coronavirus pandemic will undeniably continue to pose a serious threat to the tourism sector in the UK, some of these facts and figures suggest that the industry is slowly beginning to bounce back.

In conclusion, we can see that the pandemic has had devastating effects on the industry. However, the latest figures show that things are finally looking up for UK tourism, as people are starting to feel more comfortable travelling again.

It will undoubtedly take some time for UK tourism to return to its pre-pandemic levels, but the latest statistics are undoubtedly encouraging.

What do you think about these latest Tourism Statistics for the UK ? Are you surprised by any of them? Let us know in the comments below!

The most common country of origin for visitors to the UK is the USA, with 4.5 million visitors in 2019, followed by France, with 3.5 million visitors, and Germany, with 3.2 million visitors.

The tourism industry is a significant contributor to the British economy, supporting millions of jobs and generating billions of pounds in revenue every year. The combined economic impact of tourism was estimated at £257.9 billion in 2019.

In 2019, tourism accounted for around 10.9% of the UK economy.

Since the outbreak of Covid-19, the UK tourism industry has taken a significant hit. Inbound and outbound tourism have both been affected, with a significant decrease in the number of visitors to and from the UK. 

The contribution of tourism to the UK economy has also decreased and was estimated at £127 billion in 2020, compared to £257.89 billion in 2019. Tourism continues to be a significant contributor to the British economy, but the pandemic has had a profound effect on the industry.

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UK Tourism Statistics 2023

• Post author By Giacomo Piva
• Post date June 9, 2023

We’ve put together some of the latest UK tourism statistics using recent data and reports including market size, the number of tourists visiting the UK, and the most popular tourist attractions to visit.

Key Statistics

Uk tourism market size, how many tourists visit the uk each year, overseas visitors spending in the uk, number of nights spent in the uk, most-visited towns and cities in the uk, most-visited uk tourist attractions, outbound tourism from the uk, uk domestic tourism statistics, where do british people stay on holiday, london tourism statistics.

• 31.2 million people visited the UK from overseas in 2022, a 388.7% increase from 2021 as a result of travel restrictions being lifted after COVID-19.
• The UK’s travel and tourism industry is worth an estimated £31.38 billion ($39.14 billion USD) and is expected to reach £33.41 billion ($41.67 billion USD) by 2027 .
• Overseas visitors spent £26.5 billion in the UK in 2022, climbing back up to pre-pandemic levels after dropping significantly in 2020 and 2021.
• London is the most-visited city in the UK with 16.1 million overseas visitors in 2022 , followed by Edinburgh with 1.8 million visitors .
• The most-visited attraction in the UK is the Crown Estate at Windsor Great Park with 5.6 million visitors in 2022.
• Visitors from China spend the most on average in the UK with £8,779 per visit , which is approximately 10 times the average amount spent by all visitors from around the world.
• Visitors to the UK from Poland spend the least on average at £321 per visit .
• Spain is the most-visited country by UK residents, with 15.6 million visits of at least one night, followed by France with 7.4 million visits .
• 46% of British travellers say their budget is £200 or less for a trip in the UK, with 76% saying they will prioritise value for money when booking a holiday.

Revenue in the UK’s travel and tourism industry is estimated at £31.38 billion in 2023 and is predicted to reach £33.41 billion by 2027 with a CAGR of 1.58% between 2023 and 2027. [ 1 ]

How many people work in tourism in the UK?

The latest figures show that 3.3 million people work in the tourism industry in the UK, and this is expected to grow to 3.8 million by 2025. [ 2 ]

In 2022, 31.2 million people visited the UK from overseas, a 388.7% increase from 2021 but visitor numbers had not yet fully recovered to 2019 levels.

The number of overseas visitors to the UK remained fairly consistent in the years prior to 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic led to travel restrictions. There were 40.8 million international visitors in 2019, and this dropped by 279.2% to 11.1 million in 2020.

Sources [ 3 ] [ 4 ]

Visitor spending in the UK also remained consistent in the years between 2017 and 2019, with overseas visitors spending £28.4 billion in the UK in 2019. This figure dropped to £6.2 billion in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and dropped further to £5.6 billion in 2021.

The latest figures show visitor spending has roughly returned to pre-pandemic levels, with overseas visitors spending £26.5 billion in 2022.

Sources [ 4 ][ 5 ]

Average spend per visit by country

The average amount someone spends on a trip to the UK varies depending on which country the visitor travels from. The average amount spent on a trip to the UK across visitors from all countries is £875. Visitors from China spent the most on average with £8,779 per visit (roughly 10 times the amount spent on average by all visitors). This was followed by visitors from the Middle East (not including UAE) with an average of £3,754 per visit.

Visitors who spent the least on average when visiting the UK were from Poland (£321) and Hungary (£364).

Data from 2020 was not available due to the COVID-19 pandemic.Source [ 6 ]

The number of nights spent in the UK by overseas visitors decreased slightly from 312.6 million in 2017 to 298.6 million in 2019, a 7.3% decrease in this period.

Unsurprisingly, like the number of visitors and the average spend, the number of nights spent in the UK by international visitors was also affected by COVID-19. Figures for 2021 show that overseas visitors spent 93.5 million nights in the UK, a 70% decrease compared to 2019.

Sources [ 3 ]  

London is consistently the most-visited city in the UK, with 16.1 million overnight visitors from overseas in 2022. The second most visited city is Edinburgh with 1.8 million visitors, then Manchester with 1.2 million, followed by Birmingham with 803,000.

Source [ 4 ]

You’ll find a number of popular tourist attractions across the UK, from museums and art galleries to parks and beaches; let’s take a look at the most-visited attractions in the UK.

The most popular attraction in the UK in 2022 was the Crown Estate at Windsor Great Park which attracted 5.6 million visitors. Coming second on the list was the National History Museum with 4.6 million visitors, followed by the British Museum with 4 million visitors.

Source [ 7 ]

Outbound tourism statistics from the ONS show that UK residents mostly visit countries in Europe, with 51.9 million visits to European countries in 2022. This means that visits to Europe make up 79.5% of outbound travel by people living in the UK. [ 8 ]

Most-visited countries by UK residents

The most popular country for UK residents to visit in 2022 was Spain, with 15.6 million visits of at least one night. This was followed by France with 7.4 million visits, and Italy with 3.9 million visits.

Holidaying in the UK has become a popular pastime for British people, with staycations offering a number of benefits compared to travelling abroad. Let’s take a look at some of the latest domestic tourism statistics for the UK.

• In 2021, there were 118.9 million overnight trips taken in Great Britain by British residents. Of these trips, England was the most popular destination with an 84% share of the trips (100 million trips). Scotland was the second most popular destination with an 11% share of the trips (13 million trips). Wales was the third most popular destination with a 5% share of the trips (6 million trips).

• The average length of stay for a domestic overnight trip in Great Britain was 3.5 nights.
• The total expenditure on domestic tourism in Great Britain in 2021 was £27.2 billion.
• Of this expenditure, £22.2 billion was spent in England, £2.8 billion was spent in Scotland, and £2.2 billion was spent in Wales.

Sources [ 9 ] [ 10 ]

Why do people choose a staycation in the UK?

• The desire for budget-friendly holidays is on the rise, with 46% of people saying their budget for a staycation is £200 per person or less, and 75% say they will prioritise value for money when looking to book a holiday.
• Holidaymakers want to explore the outdoors – 44% of people said they would like to see more national parks in the UK on their next holiday.
• People want to take a trip with their pets, with 40% of UK travellers saying they will look for pet-friendly accommodation for a UK staycation.
• Scotland is becoming a popular destination for British travellers with 40% of respondents saying Scotland is top of their list for a UK holiday. [ 11 ]

We looked at the types of accommodation British people choose to stay in when they go on holiday, either abroad or in the UK.

The most popular accommodation was a hotel, with 62% of people saying they had stayed at a hotel while on holiday in the past three years. This was followed by staying with family or friends (26%), and staying at a bed and breakfast (23%). 

Source [ 12 ]

According to the Greater London Authority, there were 11.2 million international visits to London in 2022. This is an increase of 260% from 2021 when there were 3.5 million international visits to London. The increase in tourism is due to a number of factors, including the easing of travel restrictions after COVID-19, the strong pound, and London continuing to be a popular destination for tourists. [ 13 ]

Total visits to London

In 2021, there were 7.8 million visits to London from national and international tourists, with a total spend of £7.56 million. This was a 64% decrease in spending compared to the pre-pandemic figure of £2.1 billion in 2019.

Most popular visitor attractions in London

The two most-visited attractions in London also fall in the top three most visited tourist sites in the UK, the Natural History Museum and the British Museum. Third on the list is the Tate Modern Gallery with 3.8 million visitors, and next is the Southbank Centre which received 2.9 million visitors in 2022.

More London tourism facts

• One in seven jobs in London is related to the travel and tourism industry, and this sector makes up 12% of London’s GDP.
• Visiting London is the third biggest reason people say they come to the UK, and the city accounted for 53% of international visits to the UK in 2019.
• 15% of people who visit London from overseas come as part of a longer trip, including other areas in the UK. [ 15 ]

[1] https://www.statista.com/outlook/mmo/travel-tourism/united-kingdom  

[2] https://www.visitbritain.org/sites/default/files/vb-corporate/Documents-Library/documents/foresight_165_regional_activities.pdf  

[3] https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/leisureandtourism/timeseries/gmat/ott  

[4] https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/leisureandtourism/articles/traveltrends/2022

[5] https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/leisureandtourism/datasets/overseasresidentsvisitstotheuk  

[6] https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/leisureandtourism/articles/traveltrends/2021  

[7]  https://www.alva.org.uk/details.cfm?p=423

[8] https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/leisureandtourism/datasets/ukresidentsvisitsabroad  

[9] https://www.visitbritain.org/gb-domestic-overnight-tourism-latest-results

[10] https://www.gov.wales/domestic-gb-tourism-statistics-overnight-trips-2021-html

[11] https://www.traveldailymedia.com/top-five-reasons-for-expected-staycation-boom-in-2023/  

[12] https://yougov.co.uk/topics/travel/trackers/what-type-of-accommodation-do-brits-stay-in-when-on-holiday  

[13] https://www.london.gov.uk/who-we-are/what-london-assembly-does/questions-mayor/find-an-answer/tourism-london-6  

[14] https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/things-to-do/tourism-trends-and-strategies/tourism-statistics

[15] https://www.london.gov.uk/press-releases/mayoral/tourism-may-not-recover-until-middle-of-decade    

By Giacomo Piva

Giacomo Piva, CMO and Co-founder at Radical Storage Giacomo Piva has worked in the travel industry since 2008 across multiple niches including tourist transportation, luxury travel, and ecotourism. He now focuses on growing the global luggage network, Radical Storage , which is currently available in over 500 cities, in the likes of London, Paris, New York, and Rio de Janeiro. Giacomo has a bachelor's degree in Communication Science and an in-depth experience across travel marketing, especially in improving a brand’s digital presence within the industry.

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UK TOURISM Statistics 2023

• / UK Tourism Statistics

Explore UK Tourism Trends & Statistics on Inbound Tourism, Spend, Employment, Popular Tourist Destinations & more!

It was predicted that by 2025 the UK tourism industry would be worth over £257 billion, however, the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic had other ideas, putting worldwide travel to a stop.  In 2020 there was a decline of 73% in visitors to the UK and 78% in tourist spending.

UK tourism is not back to pre-pandemic levels just yet, however, the total contribution of travel and tourism to the UK’s GDP increased by 40% from 2020 to 2023 and it's been forecast the number of visitors to the UK will increase to 35.1 million in 2023.

Read on for more UK tourism statistics & latest industry data.

TOP TOURISM  STATISTICS UK:

In 2020 the UK received 11.1 million inbound visitors , who spent £6.2 billion , a decline of 73% in visits and 78% in spending.

This represented a loss to the UK economy of £22.2 billion.

Monthly air passenger arrivals to the UK fell by 98.3% from 6,804,900 in February 2020 to 112,300 in April 2020.

It's forecast that the number of visitors to the UK could reach  35.1 million in 2023.

The total contribution of travel and tourism to the UK’s GDP increased by 40% from 2020 to 2023. 

The average Briton took 3.6 holidays in 2022.

UK tourism is predicted to account for 8.93% in 2028 .

The country most visited by UK residents is Spain .

Tourists spent around £14.2 billion in London in 2022.

There were 15.6 million international visitors in London in 2022.

How did the COVID-19 pandemic impact UK tourism?

How many tourists visit the uk each year, how does tourism contribute to the uk economy, what are the most popular tourist destinations in the uk, what are the most popular tourist attractions in the uk, how many jobs does tourism create in the uk, why do tourists visit the uk, the impact of covid-19 on the uk tourism market.

In 2020 the UK received 11.1 million inbound visitors, who spent £6.2 billion , a decline of 73% in visits and 78% in spending.

Domestic and international air passenger traffic fell to less than 2% of its February 2020 levels in April 2020.

London saw the largest fall in room occupancy, with just 20% of rooms occupied in July 2020 compared with 90% in the same month in 2019.

Accommodation and travel agency businesses saw the sharpest decline in turnover during the first national lockdown, falling to 9.3% of their February levels in May 2020.

Employment in accommodation fell by 21.5% compared with the same three months of 2019.

Domestic tourist spending dropped to £34 billion in 2020 from £92 billion in 2019.

Visit Britain is forecasting 35.1 million visits in 2023  and £29.5 billion spent (104% of the 2019 level and 14% higher than in 2022).

While international tourist visits haven’t bounced back to pre-pandemic levels, Visit Britain estimates they could come to 86% of the pre-pandemic level in 2023. 

In 2022, there were about 30 million international visits to the UK.

In 2022, UK tourism’s GDP contribution was £214 billion.

Tourism’s GDP contribution should grow by 3% annually between 2022 and 2032.

UK tourists spent around £45 billion abroad in the first three quarters of 2022.

COVID-19 impacted the UK tourism market when travel came to a halt around the world. Monthly air passenger arrivals to the UK fell by 98.3% and ultimately the losses represented a loss to the UK economy of £22.2 billion.

Inbound international tourism to the UK was the first industry to be affected by Covid-19 and will be the last to recover, although the UK isn't at pre-pandemic levels just yet, travel & tourism to the UK's GDP increased by 40% from 2020 to 2023 and the number of inbound visitors to the UK could reach 35.1 million in 2023. 

Where people have missed out on travel due to lockdowns, other factors are impacting whether people can afford travel. I ncreasing costs of overseas tourism stop 19% of Britons from enjoying a trip abroad, and personal finances and around  36% of consumers say they won’t be taking a holiday this summer – 14% say due to the level of their essential costs.

Sources: Money Transfers , KPMG , Parliament , ONS , Statista  

UK INBOUND TOURISM STATISTICS

The United Kingdom  ranked seventh in the UNWTO international arrivals league and accounted for 2.8% of global arrivals in 2017.

2017 had the highest number of visitors in one year (39.2 million) . This is almost two-thirds of the population of the UK.

The United Kingdom  ranked fifth place in the UNWTO international tourism earnings league in 2017.

There were 37.9 million visits to the UK in 2018.

Travellers from the US contribute most to the travel industry in the United Kingdom. 3.9 million American tourists visited  in  2018 and spent a collective £3.4 billion.

The USA, France, and Germany were the top markets in terms of the number of visits to the UK, accounting for 29% of visits in 2018.  These markets also accounted for 27% of all overseas visitor spend.

Visits to the UK for holidays reached a new record in June 2019 with 1.6 million inbound holiday visits (up 18%).

4 million people visited the UK in July 2019.

54% of all inbound visitor spend is accounted for by London . The rest of England accounts for 33%, Scotland 10% and Wales 2%.

Repeat holidaymakers  stay longer on their visits than first-time visitors. They also spend more on average per night.

Inbound tourism statistics show 2017 was a record-breaking year, there was a 9% increase in spend and a 4% increase in visits from the previous year. A whopping 39.2 million people visited the UK in 2017, this is almost 66% of the UK population. The increase in tourism in 2017 drove sales for luxury British brands, boosting Bond Street into the top three of the world’s most expensive store locations.

Tourism statistics prove that this industry is one of the UK’s most valuable sectors with 37.9 million people visiting in 2018. Over half of the visitor spend is spent within London which is not surprising as London is the third most visited city in the world after Bangkok and Paris. London will always be one of the most popular cities in the world because it has something for everyone when they go on holiday , whether it is the vibrant culture, the west end theatre or classic British food.

Sources : TheGuardian , UKInbound, VisitBritain , VisitBritain, Finder , ONS , Forbes

LONDON TOURISM STATISTICS

How many tourists visit london each year.

London attracts around 30 million visitors from around the world every year. The number of tourists visiting London has increased from 11 million in 2002 to more than 19 million in 2016.

According to the National Office for Statistics tourists spent more than 111 million nights and close to £11.9 billion . See the chart below to see who’s visiting London (Source: Statista ).

UK TRAVEL STATISTICS: SPENDING

£2.9 billion was spent on visits by overseas residents in July 2019.

In 2018, £7.3 billion was spent by overseas residents. This has decreased by 3% from the previous year.

For every £1000 generated by direct tourism, a further £1800 is supported elsewhere in the economy.

Inbound visitors will continue to be the fastest-growing tourism sector with spend by international travellers forecast to grow by over 6% a year in comparison with domestic spending at just over 3%.

37.9 million people visited from overseas in 2018 and spent £22.9 billion.

The UK accounted for 3.7% of international tourism receipts in 2017.

£604 is the average spend per visit in 2018.

There was a growth in spending across Wales (2%), North East (5%) , Yorkshire (2%) and East Midlands (22%).

$31.93 billion was spent by tourists in 2017.

Domestic tourism in the UK  remains the biggest component of tourist spending, with 2008 expenditures totaling £21.9 billion, according to VisitBritain.

3.8% of global tourism receipts are accounted for by the UK.

Tourism in the UK contributes immensely to the economy, there was a total expenditure of £22.9 billion in 2018 and had 37.9 million tourists. The average spend per visit is £604 with an average length stay of 7 nights. Although the UK is a small country, it still accounts for 3.8% of global tourism receipts and is the fifth top tourism earner in 2018. 

How much does tourism contribute to the UK GDP? Tourism contributes £145.9bn (7.2%) of the GDP, England’s tourism sector is vibrant and vital.

Students also help contribute large amounts to the economy, 500,000 students visit to learn English each year. These English foreign language students also spend £2399 per visit, this is four times more than the average spend. 88% of these students intend to come back to the UK for another holiday. Students generate £1.2 billion in export earnings for the United Kingdom every year.

Sources : ONS , VisitBritain , VisitBritain, Wikipedia, UKinbound , 

UK TOURIST ARRIVALS STATISTICS

6.9 million European residents visited in 2018, this has decreased by 3% from the previous year.

Between April and June 2019 there was an 18% (1.6 million visits) increase from the previous year in visits from North American residents.

Visits by European residents decreased by 5% (6.8 million visits) and visits from other countries decreased by 5%.

Certain markets are more likely to make repeat visits to the UK: 92% of holiday visits from the Irish Republic, 92% from Norway, 83% from Iceland and 80% from Belgium were repeat visits in 2015. Repeat visits are most likely taken by those who have been on holiday here before, as 50% of repeat visits are for holidays. This is followed by 21% who are visiting friends and relatives, 20% business trips, 8% study and 1% other.

Out of the top 10 visiting countries whose residents visited the most frequently in 2018, eight of these countries were EU countries (France, Germany, Irish Republic, Spain, Netherlands, Poland, Italy and Belgium). The only other non-EU countries in the top ten were Australia and the USA. This list has remained almost the same over recent years.

Sources : ONS , VisitBritain

TOURISM STATISTICS UK: BEHAVIOUR AND REASONING

In 2018 tourists visited the UK for the following reasons:

37.9 million tourists visited the UK in 2018.

15.1 million of those visited for a holiday.

11.8 million or 31.4% visited the UK to see friends or relatives.

8.4 million visited for business trips.

2.6 million trips were for other reasons.

During April-June 2019, 4.3 million visited for a holiday,

2.1 million for business and 2.8 million came to visit family and friends. This is just under 10% of UK GDP.

77% of inbound visits were repeat visits.

92% of business visits were repeat visits in 2015, 85% was to visit family and friends and 63% were holiday visits.

Those visiting for holidays reached a new record in June 2019 with 1.6 million inbound holiday visits (up 18%).

Business visits increased to 24% in June 2019 (800,000).

Why do people visit the UK? Business visits accounted for 22% of all visits in 2018 and contributed to a spend of around £4.5 billion. According to Visit Britain, 3.3 million business visits were made to attend small/ medium-sized meetings whist 1.5 million visits were made to attend larger meetings such as conferences, conventions and trade shows. 

Visits by overseas residents decreased in 2018 in comparison to 2017. However, holidays are still the most common reason why people visit the UK. There were 15.1 billion holidays to the United Kingdom in 2018 accounting for 40% of the total. The USA is the top visiting country followed by France, Germany, the Irish Republic and Spain. 

Sources : ONS, VisitBritain, UKInbound

UK TRAVEL INDUSTRY STATISTICS: POPULAR DESTINATIONS

Top Towns and Cities

London Edinburgh Manchester Birmingham Glasgow Liverpool Bristol Cambridge Oxford Brighton

Visits (000s)

19,090 2,363 1,408 1,100 837 803 598 547 526 459

The most popular tourist destination in the UK is unsurprisingly London as it is the capital. The capital attracts 8 times more travelers than the second most visited city in the UK. People love visiting this city because it is full of culture. The best museums and galleries in the world are located there, most of which are free. It also provides many options to see the most beautiful panoramic views such as the London Eye and a variety of rooftop bars.

Edinburgh is the second most visited city, known for its low crime rate and rich heritage it is understandable that Edinburgh is so popular. In England, Manchester is the second top city after London. Manchester has amazing cuisine; an assortment of museums and incredible nightlife and its number of overseas tourists is rising by 10% a year.

Sources: VisitBritain, Finder , UKinbound

UK TRAVEL FACTS & STATISTICS: TOP TOURIST ATTRACTIONS

The top three activities in which international tourists participated in during their visit included dining in restaurants, shopping and going to the pub.

10% of all visits  included a visit to the beach. This rises to 33% for those visiting Wales.

Walking in the countryside was the most popular outdoor leisure pursuit. This was particularly high in the South West and Scotland (41%).

9% of visits  include a trip to the theatre , this rises to 15% in London.

Sightseeing is the most common activity, with 16% of those only in the UK for a day doing some form of sightseeing.

International travellers described a possible trip to the UK as education over anything else.

The Tate Modern is the most popular attraction in the capital, with 5.9 million visitors in 2018. This is followed by the British Museum (5.8 million) and the National Gallery (5.7 million).

47% of people stated that they associate the United Kingdom with Museums, it is also the most popular attraction in London.

Wildlife attractions had a 4% participation rate, increasing to 6% amongst those visiting the South West, London and Scotland.

The South West literary offer was the second highest after London, with 6% including a literary/music/TV or film location visit during their stay.

The most popular tourist activity and attraction is sightseeing. Even if tourists are only visiting for one day, 16% of people manage to do some form of sightseeing. Walking is also another extremely popular tourist activity. London tourism statistics show The Tate Modern is the number one tourist attraction in the city, with 5.9 million visitors in 2018.

Activities specifically focused around ‘city life’ such as dining, socializing and shopping are the most popular things to do for overseas visitors. History and heritage also draw in a lot of tourists, alongside ‘Britain only’ activities such as iconic landmarks and famous attractions. Whereas, in the more rural parts of the UK, visiting the countryside, beaches, as well as national parks, are very popular amongst tourists. Tourists over the age of 65 are more likely to do unusual activities such as playing golf or researching ancestry.

Sources : VisitBritain , Finder

TOURISM EMPLOYMENT STATISTICS UK

Since 2010, tourism has been the fastest-growing sector for UK employment. By 2025, the tourism industry UK is set to be worth over £257 billion.

The tourism sector is set to grow at an annual rate of 3.8% through to 2025. This is significantly faster than the overall economy. It is also supporting 3.8 million jobs.

English foreign language students generate £1.2 billion in export earnings each year. This creates 20,000 jobs.

3.3 million people work in tourism-related businesses, 1.5 million are employed as a redirected result of expenditure.

There are 241,000 businesses in the UK travel industry.

The United Kingdom is the world’s 7th most popular tourist destination, therefore it is not surprising that this sector creates a lot of job opportunities. These UK tourism employment statistics demonstrate the importance of tourism for employment. Since 2010, tourism has been the fastest-growing sector for UK employment, accounting for 11.9% of all jobs and it is thought that by 2025, the industry is set to be worth over £257 billion. Travel and tourism overtook financial services (8.9%) and banking (3.4%) as the fastest growing sector in the UK.

Sources : VisitBritain, Finder , WTTC

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• Transport planning

National Travel Survey mid-year estimates

The survey collects information on how, why, when and where people travel. The mid-year estimates provide faster indicators for key tables.

National Travel Survey mid-year data tables

The mid-year estimates provide faster indicators for key tables and include data for 12-month periods from July to June.

NTSMY0101: Trips, distance travelled and time taken: England, year ending June 2023 ( ODS , 7.24 KB )

NTSMY0303: Average number of trips, stages, miles and time spent travelling by mode: England, year ending June 2023 ( ODS , 12.4 KB )

NTSMY0403: Average number of trips, miles and time spent travelling by trip purpose: England, year ending June 2023 ( ODS , 11.7 KB )

NTSMY0409: Average number of trips and distance travelled by purpose and main mode: England, year ending June 2023 ( ODS , 13.4 KB )

NTSMY0601: Average number of trips, stages and distance travelled by sex, age and mode: England, year ending June 2023 ( ODS , 33 KB )

NTSMY0611: Average number of trips and distance travelled by sex, age and purpose: England, year ending June 2023 ( ODS , 24 KB )

NTSMY9903: Average number of trips by main mode, region and rural-urban classification of residence: England, year ending June 2023 ( ODS , 14.4 KB )

NTSMY9904: Average distance travelled by mode, region and rural-urban classification of residence: England, year ending June 2023 ( ODS , 15.8 KB )

NTSMY0001: Sample numbers ( ODS , 7.65 KB )

National Travel Survey statistics

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