• English (CA)
  • English (UK)
  • Deutsch (DE)
  • Deutsch (CH)

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.

Traveler Street Coffee

TravelPerk's Meetings & Events team can help you book venues and get exclusive discounts on group travel

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.

Ready to plan your next trip to the UK?

Woman riding train

Make business travel simpler. Forever.

  • See our platform in action . Trusted by thousands of companies worldwide, TravelPerk makes business travel simpler to manage with more flexibility, full control of spending with easy reporting, and options to offset your carbon footprint.
  • Find hundreds of resources on all things business travel, from tips on traveling more sustainably, to advice on setting up a business travel policy, and managing your expenses. Our latest e-books and blog posts have you covered.
  • Never miss another update. Stay in touch with us on social for the latest product releases, upcoming events, and articles fresh off the press.

Tk Amtrav Announcement Press Release

Accelerating our US expansion with AmTrav acquisition

Airport Business Travel Pexels Magic K 6726195

Business Travel and Wellness Survey Results

Online Booking Stats Scaled

60+ online travel booking statistics & trends

Ppc Expensemanagement Leader Leader

  • Business Travel Management
  • Offset Carbon Footprint
  • Flexible travel
  • Corporate Travel Resources
  • Corporate Travel Glossary
  • For Travel Managers
  • For Finance Teams
  • For Travelers
  • Careers Hiring
  • User Reviews
  • Integrations
  • Trust Center
  • Help Center
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookies Policy
  • Modern Slavery Act | Statement
  • Supplier Code of Conduct

tourism data for uk

SAILING UPDATES

Condor Ferries

  • Poole to Guernsey
  • Portsmouth to Guernsey
  • UK to Guernsey
  • Jersey to Guernsey
  • St Malo to Guernsey
  • View all ferries to Guernsey
  • Poole to Jersey
  • Portsmouth to Jersey
  • UK to Jersey
  • Guernsey to Jersey
  • St Malo to Jersey
  • View all ferries to Jersey
  • Poole to St Malo
  • Jersey to St Malo
  • Guernsey to St Malo
  • View all ferries to St Malo
  • Guernsey to the UK
  • Jersey to the UK
  • St Malo to the UK
  • View all ferries to the UK
  • Group Travel
  • Sailing Updates
  • Vehicle size guide
  • Travelling with your bike
  • Travelling with pets
  • Travelling with freight
  • Travelling as a foot passenger
  • Disabled facilities
  • Advanced Passenger Information (API)
  • Portsmouth Port
  • Guernsey Port
  • Jersey Port
  • St Malo Port
  • Special Offers
  • Luxury 5* Hotels
  • St Peter Port Hotels
  • St Martin Hotels
  • Hotels with pools
  • Beach Hotels
  • View all Guernsey Hotels
  • Short Breaks
  • Family Holidays
  • Pet-friendly Holidays
  • Self-catering
  • View all holidays to Guernsey
  • St Helier Hotels
  • St Brelade Hotels
  • St Aubin Hotels
  • View all Jersey Hotels
  • View all holidays to Jersey
  • Guernsey to France
  • Guernsey to UK
  • Jersey to France
  • Jersey to UK
  • Jersey to Sark
  • Top things to do in Guernsey
  • Food & Drink
  • Outdoor & Adventure
  • Attractions
  • See more things to do in Guernsey
  • Top things to do in Jersey
  • See more things to do in Jersey
  • Top things to do in St Malo
  • See more things to do in St Malo
  • Top things to do in the UK
  • See more things to do in the UK
  • Onboard Seating
  • Bars & Dining
  • Live Vessel Positions
  • Punctuality

FERRY + HOTEL

Your return date must be after your departure date.

Maximum of 9 passengers allowed on the outward.

Please select at least one adult to travel.

question-mark

Please call 0345 609 1024 to book.

If you are travelling on business or in a commercial vehicle please click here for Condor Ferries Freight .

Please note that any person or vehicle travelling for business or commercial venture, carrying commercial goods/samples will need to book via our freight teams and do not qualify for leisure fares. In addition, if the vehicle being taken is designed for the carriage of commercial goods it shall be reserved as freight regardless of its dimensions. For more information please call the Commercial team on 01481 728620 .

Please wait while we find the best fares for you...

tourism data for uk

UK TOURISM Statistics 2024

  • / 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.

tourism data for uk

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 ).

London Tourism Statistics

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

  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Modern Slavery Act
  • Travel & Tourism Statistics
  • Frequent Traveller Club
  • Travel Trade
  • Condor in the Community
  • Jersey Holidays & Breaks
  • Guernsey Holidays & Breaks
  • Condor Breaks Booking Conditions
  • Foreign Office Travel Advice

abta logo

  • Condor Ferries
  • St. Peter Port
  • +443456091024

twitter icon

Copyright © Condor Limited 2024. All rights reserved.

Cookies on GOV.UK

We use some essential cookies to make this website work.

We’d like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services.

We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.

You have accepted additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

You have rejected additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

DfE: ministerial gifts, hospitality, travel and meetings, January to March 2024

Data on gifts that ministers gave and received, their external meetings and any overseas travel.

Applies to England

Dfe: ministerial gifts, january to march 2024.

MS Excel Spreadsheet , 16.2 KB

DfE: ministerial hospitality, January to March 2024

MS Excel Spreadsheet , 15.4 KB

DfE: ministerial travel, January to March 2024

MS Excel Spreadsheet , 15.5 KB

DfE: ministerial meetings, January to March 2024

MS Excel Spreadsheet , 18.1 KB

The Department for Education ( DfE ) publishes details of ministers’ meetings with external organisations, gifts (given and received), hospitality and overseas travel on a quarterly basis.

Updates to this page

Sign up for emails or print this page, related content, is this page useful.

  • Yes this page is useful
  • No this page is not useful

Help us improve GOV.UK

Don’t include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details.

To help us improve GOV.UK, we’d like to know more about your visit today. Please fill in this survey (opens in a new tab) .

  • Travel, Tourism & Hospitality ›
  • Leisure Travel

Tourism in London - statistics & facts

Tourism in london during the covid-19 pandemic, what are london’s most visited tourist attractions, key insights.

Detailed statistics

Number of international tourist visits to London, UK 2011-2023

Number of inbound overnight stays in London, UK 2009-2022

International tourist expenditure in London, UK 2009-2023

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Destinations

Leading UK cities for international tourism 2019-2023, by visits

Travel, Tourism & Hospitality

Leading European city tourism destinations 2019-2023, by number of bed nights

Further recommended statistics

  • Basic Statistic Inbound tourist visits to the UK 2002-2023
  • Premium Statistic International tourist spending in the UK 2004-2024
  • Premium Statistic Leading UK cities for international tourism 2019-2023, by visits
  • Premium Statistic Leading UK cities for international tourism spending 2019-2023
  • Basic Statistic Leading European city tourism destinations 2019-2023, by number of bed nights
  • Premium Statistic World's most competitive cities for business events 2022-2023
  • Premium Statistic Most visited cities by digital nomads worldwide 2024
  • Premium Statistic Most popular travel destinations on TikTok worldwide 2024, by number of posts

Inbound tourist visits to the UK 2002-2023

Number of overseas resident visits to the United Kingdom from 2002 to 2023, with a forecast for 2024 (in millions)

International tourist spending in the UK 2004-2024

Spending of international visitors to the United Kingdom from 2004 to 2022, with a forecast for 2023 and 2024 (in billion GBP)

Cities and towns in the United Kingdom ranked by international visits from 2019 to 2023 (in 1,000 visits)

Leading UK cities for international tourism spending 2019-2023

Cities and towns in the United Kingdom ranked by international tourism spending in 2019 and 2023 (in million GBP)

Leading city tourism destinations in Europe from 2019 to 2023, by number of bed nights (in millions)

World's most competitive cities for business events 2022-2023

Leading city destinations for international conventions worldwide in 2022/2023 (index score)

Most visited cities by digital nomads worldwide 2024

Leading cities visited by digital nomads worldwide as of March 2024

Most popular travel destinations on TikTok worldwide 2024, by number of posts

Most popular travel destinations on TikTok worldwide as of May 2024, by number of posts (in millions)

Inbound tourism

  • Premium Statistic Number of international tourist visits to London, UK 2011-2023
  • Premium Statistic Number of international tourist visits to London, UK 2019-2022, by purpose
  • Premium Statistic Number of inbound overnight stays in London, UK 2009-2022
  • Premium Statistic Forecast number of inbound overnight stays in London, UK 2023-2031
  • Premium Statistic International tourist expenditure in London, UK 2009-2023
  • Premium Statistic International tourist expenditure in London, UK 2019-2023, by purpose
  • Premium Statistic Forecast international tourist expenditure in London, UK 2023-2031

Number of overseas tourist visits to London, United Kingdom from 2011 to 2023 (in millions)

Number of international tourist visits to London, UK 2019-2022, by purpose

Number of overseas tourist visits to London, United Kingdom (UK) from 2019 to 2022, by purpose (in 1,000s)

Number of nights spent by overseas residents visiting London, United Kingdom (UK) from 2009 to 2022 (in millions)

Forecast number of inbound overnight stays in London, UK 2023-2031

Forecast number of nights spent by international visitors in London, United Kingdom (UK) from 2023 to 2031 (in 1,000s)

Spending of international visitors in London, United Kingdom from 2009 to 2023 (in billion GBP)

International tourist expenditure in London, UK 2019-2023, by purpose

Spending of international visitors in London, United Kingdom from 2019 to 2023, by purpose (in million GBP)

Forecast international tourist expenditure in London, UK 2023-2031

Forecast spending of international visitors in London, United Kingdom (UK) from 2023 to 2031 (in million GBP)

Domestic tourism

  • Premium Statistic Domestic overnight trips to London, UK 2011-2022
  • Premium Statistic Nights spent by domestic visitors in London 2008-2019
  • Premium Statistic Forecast number of domestic overnight stays in London, UK 2023-2031
  • Premium Statistic Domestic tourism expenditure in London, UK 2011-2022
  • Premium Statistic Leading regions for spring staycations in the UK 2024
  • Premium Statistic Leading regions for summer staycations in the UK 2024

Domestic overnight trips to London, UK 2011-2022

Number of domestic overnight trips to London, United Kingdom (UK) from 2011 to 2022 (in millions)

Nights spent by domestic visitors in London 2008-2019

Number of nights spent by domestic tourists during visits to London (UK) from 2008 to 2019 (in millions)

Forecast number of domestic overnight stays in London, UK 2023-2031

Forecast number of nights spent by domestic visitors in London, United Kingdom (UK) from 2023 to 2031 (in 1,000s)

Domestic tourism expenditure in London, UK 2011-2022

Spending on domestic overnight trips in London, United Kingdom from 2011 to 2022 (in billion GBP)

Leading regions for spring staycations in the UK 2024

Leading regions for travelers' next spring staycation in the United Kingdom as of April 2024

Leading regions for summer staycations in the UK 2024

Leading regions for travelers' next summer staycation in the United Kingdom as of April 2024

Accommodation

  • Premium Statistic Hotel occupancy rate in London, UK Q1 2023-Q4 2024
  • Premium Statistic ADR of hotels in London, UK Q1 2023-Q4 2024
  • Premium Statistic RevPAR of hotels in London, UK Q1 2023-Q4 2024
  • Premium Statistic Number of Airbnb room listings in London, UK 2022, by room type
  • Basic Statistic Airbnb listings in London 2023, by room type
  • Premium Statistic Overnight accommodation costs in London 2019-2022, by month

Hotel occupancy rate in London, UK Q1 2023-Q4 2024

Hotel occupancy rate in London, United Kingdom in 1st quarter and 2nd quarter 2023, with a forecast until 4th quarter 2024

ADR of hotels in London, UK Q1 2023-Q4 2024

Average daily rate of hotels in London, United Kingdom in 1st quarter and 2nd quarter 2023, with a forecast until 4th quarter 2024

RevPAR of hotels in London, UK Q1 2023-Q4 2024

Revenue per available room of hotels in London, United Kingdom in 1st quarter and 2nd quarter 2023, with a forecast until 4th quarter 2024

Number of Airbnb room listings in London, UK 2022, by room type

Number of Airbnb listings in London, United Kingdom (UK) as of September 2022, by room type

Airbnb listings in London 2023, by room type

Share of Airbnb listings in London as of December 2023, by room type

Overnight accommodation costs in London 2019-2022, by month

Average cost of overnight accommodation in London from 2019 to 2022, by month (in euros)

Visitor attractions

  • Premium Statistic Most visited tourist attractions in London, UK 2019-2023
  • Basic Statistic Leading free visitor attractions in London, UK 2019-2023, by attendance
  • Basic Statistic Leading paid visitor attractions in London, UK 2019-2022, by attendance
  • Premium Statistic Number of visitors to the Natural History Museum in London, England 2011-2023
  • Premium Statistic Number of visitors to the British Museum in London, England 2011-2023
  • Premium Statistic Number of visits to the Tate Modern in England 2006-2021
  • Premium Statistic Number of visits to the ZSL London Zoo in the UK 2010-2023
  • Premium Statistic Number of visits to the Tower of London in England 2010-2023
  • Premium Statistic Number of visits to Westminster Abbey in the UK 2010-2023
  • Basic Statistic Royal tourism: admissions to Royal Estate in the UK 2019-2023, by establishment

Most visited tourist attractions in London, UK 2019-2023

Number of visits to leading tourist attractions in London, United Kingdom (UK) from 2019 to 2023 (in 1,000s)

Leading free visitor attractions in London, UK 2019-2023, by attendance

Most visited free attractions in London, United Kingdom from 2019 to 2023 (in million visitors)

Leading paid visitor attractions in London, UK 2019-2022, by attendance

Most visited paid attractions in London, United Kingdom (UK) from 2019 to 2022 (in 1,000 visitors)

Number of visitors to the Natural History Museum in London, England 2011-2023

Number of visitors to the Natural History Museum in London, England from 2011 to 2023 (in 1,000s)

Number of visitors to the British Museum in London, England 2011-2023

Number of visitors to the British Museum in London, England from 2011 to 2023 (in 1,000s)

Number of visits to the Tate Modern in England 2006-2021

Number of visits to the Tate Modern gallery in London, England from fiscal year 2006 to 2021 (in 1,000s)

Number of visits to the ZSL London Zoo in the UK 2010-2023

Number of visits to the ZSL London Zoo in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2010 to 2023 (in 1,000s)

Number of visits to the Tower of London in England 2010-2023

Number of visits to the Tower of London in England from 2010 to 2023 (in 1,000s)

Number of visits to Westminster Abbey in the UK 2010-2023

Number of visits to Westminster Abbey in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2010 to 2023 (in 1,000s)

Royal tourism: admissions to Royal Estate in the UK 2019-2023, by establishment

Number of admissions to the Royal Estate in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2019 to 2023, by establishment (in 1,000s)

Further reports

Get the best reports to understand your industry.

Mon - Fri, 9am - 6pm (EST)

Mon - Fri, 9am - 5pm (SGT)

Mon - Fri, 10:00am - 6:00pm (JST)

Mon - Fri, 9:30am - 5pm (GMT)

IMAGES

  1. Tourism Market Research: Trends 2023 in the UK

    tourism data for uk

  2. Inbound Tourism to the UK infographic

    tourism data for uk

  3. 64+ UK Travel & Tourism Statistics (2023)

    tourism data for uk

  4. 64+ UK Travel & Tourism Statistics (2023)

    tourism data for uk

  5. 64+ UK Travel & Tourism Statistics (2023)

    tourism data for uk

  6. Tourism and outdoor leisure accounts, natural capital, UK

    tourism data for uk

COMMENTS

  1. Leisure and tourism

    Travel trends: 2023. Annual estimates of completed international visits to and from the UK, and earnings and expenditure associated with these visits. Tourism to the UK, and UK residents travelling abroad, reasons for travel and money spent. The statistics on UK residents travelling abroad are an informal indicator of living standards.

  2. UK Tourism Industry Statistics & Research

    Research and insights

  3. Travel and tourism in the United Kingdom

    In 2022, the total contribution of travel and tourism to the UK's GDP rose to an estimated 237.1 billion British pounds. While this figure was 4.6 percent lower than it had been in 2019, it ...

  4. Tourism industry

    There were 3.0 million visits to the UK by overseas visitors in June 2022; an increase from 2.8 million visits in May 2022. Visits by overseas visitors to the UK in June 2022 are still lower than pre-coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic levels, down 19% from 3.7 million in June 2019. Overseas residents spent £2.7 billion in the UK in June 2022.

  5. Travel trends: 2022

    Average spend per day was the same as in 2019 (£98 in 2019 and £100 in 2022) but average spend per visit remained high at £843; this was £696 in 2019 but £875 in 2021. UK residents spent £58.5 billion on visits abroad in 2022, an increase of £43.0 billion compared with 2021.

  6. UK Inbound Travel & Tourism Statistics

    Summary. VisitBritain forecasts 38.7 million inbound visits and £32.5 billion spend in 2024, 95% and 114% of the 2019 levels respectively, although spend would be 92% of 2019 in real terms i.e. when adjusting for inflation. Compared to 2023, this would represent growth of 2% in visits and 5% in nominal spend (2% in real spend).

  7. England UK Tourism Industry Stats & Data

    England Visitor Attractions: latest

  8. National Travel Survey: 2022

    The National Travel Survey results in 2022 showed: people in England made 862 trips on average in 2022, about 17 trips per week. this was an increase of 14% on 2021 and a decrease of 10% on 2019 ...

  9. National Travel Survey 2021: Trips by purpose, age and sex

    The 2021 National Travel Survey (NTS) is the latest in a series of household surveys of personal travel by residents of England travelling within Great Britain, from data collected via interviews ...

  10. The Great Britain Tourism Survey (GBTS) 2021

    A national consumer survey measuring the volume and value of domestic overnight tourism trips taken by residents in Great Britain, and provides detailed information about trip and visitor ...

  11. Tourism: statistics and policy

    UK tourism fell sharply due to the pandemic, though data indicates domestic tourism has largely recovered, and VisitBritain expects inbound tourism to recover by the end of 2024. In 2019, the sector accounted for £74 billion of economic output with domestic spending being higher than spending by overseas visitors. While inbound trips are ...

  12. Travel trends: 2021

    UK residents spent £15.5 billion on visits abroad in 2021, an increase of 13% compared with modelled data for 2020. The average spend per visit was £808 in 2021. Values for 2020 are not known, but this was an increase from £670 in 2019. Some of this increase is because of the longer time spent abroad.

  13. Inbound visits and spend: annual, UK

    Overall, 292.9m nights were spent in the UK in 2023, up 1% vs 2019 and up 11% vs 2022. The average spend per visit (SPV) by inbound visitors was £819 per visit in 2023, up 18% vs 2019 but down 3% vs 2022. In real terms, SPV was down 3% vs 2019 and down 10% vs 2022. Visitors stayed an average of 7.7 nights in 2023, which has been decreasing ...

  14. Topic: Vacation travel behavior in the United Kingdom (UK)

    Revenue growth of the travel and tourism market in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2020 to 2029, by segment Premium Statistic Number of users of vacation rentals in the UK 2019-2029

  15. Travel and Tourism in the UK 2022

    Travel and Tourism in the UK 2022 - Get the report with graphs and tables on statista.com! ... Directly accessible data for 170 industries from 150+ countries and over 1 Mio. facts.

  16. 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.

  17. UK Tourism Statistics 2024

    UK Tourism Statistics 2023 - Latest Data

  18. Travel trends

    Quarterly data on travel to and from the UK, taken from the IPS. Includes detail on age and sex of travellers, purpose and length of trip, and spending. These data are in a form suitable for small businesses and students. Travelpac comprises 14 of the most widely used variables, and the data are available for each year from 1993 onwards, in ...

  19. Inbound visits to the UK 2023

    Inbound visits to the UK 2023

  20. VisitBritain publishes inbound tourism forecast for 2024

    VisitBritain has today, 20 December, published its tourism forecast for 2024 showing an increase in inbound visits and spend overall to the UK compared to 2023 levels, although with varying rates of recovery and growth across its major inbound visitor markets.. VisitBritain's overall forecast for spending by international visitors in the UK in 2024 is £34.1 billion, up 7% on the spending ...

  21. Stoops: Kentucky Failed to Respond in "Ridiculously Embarrassing

    There's only one thing we can say about this Kentucky football team, they're unpredictable. Despite two totally different outcomes, Mark Stoops felt an eery feeling of familiarity when he took the podium following the 31-6 loss to South Carolina. "Last week after our game I sat in here and said I hadn't been through anything like that in my time here.

  22. Overseas travel and tourism

    Quarterly data on travel to and from the UK, taken from the International Passenger Survey (IPS). Includes detail on age and sex of travellers, purpose and length of trip, and spending. These data are in a form suitable for small businesses and students. Travelpac comprises 14 of the most widely used variables, and the data are available for ...

  23. DfE: ministerial gifts, hospitality, travel and meetings ...

    Transparency data DfE: ministerial gifts, hospitality, travel and meetings, January to March 2024

  24. London's FTSE 100 rebounds amid broad gains; Entain soars after upbeat

    FTSE 100 up 0.6%, FTSE 250 adds 0.4% Travel and leisure stocks lead broad gains Entain tops FTSE 100 after upbeat online revenue forecast Labour market data due in the week Sept 9 (Reuters ...

  25. Tourism in London

    Visitor attractions 10 Premium Statistic Most visited tourist attractions in London, UK 2019-2023 Basic Statistic Leading free visitor attractions in London, UK 2019-2023, by attendance

  26. Overseas travel and tourism, monthly

    17 May 2024. Today we have published the latest edition of our overseas travel and tourism estimates. In this edition a minor correction has been made to previously published data, for July and September 2022. As a result of a processing error, the estimate for these months for overseas residents for Europe was over estimated by 1,000 visits.