how many tourists visit brighton each year

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40+ Brighton Tourism Statistics, Numbers and Trends

Updated on November 6, 2023 by Axel Hernborg

Brighton is best known as one of the UK’s most popular tourist destinations.  Tourism  has been integral to the city’s economic development since it became popular in the 19th century when it grew rapidly with the arrival of the railway in 1841. Brighton’s increasing popularity as a fashionable tourist destination saw it expand to include nearby Hove in 1997, eventually gaining city status in 2000.

Brighton & Hove is a tourist city, the visitor economy keeps the destination thriving year-round and helps to make it such a special place to live, work and study.

The Covid-19 pandemic had a devastating effect on the city’s visitor economy, which includes tourism, hospitality, events, attractions, and heritage. Many business owners, employees, and freelancers have seen their livelihoods catastrophically impacted as they have been forced to close, partially re-open, then re-close again, or have remained closed during successive lockdowns.

• As Brighton & Hove’s hospitality industry bounces back from the pandemic and visitor numbers continue to rise, a new Tourism Recovery Plan is being launched to build on this success, support the recovery and promote the city as a safe and welcoming year-round destination.

Let’s take a look at the city’s tourism statistics and trends.

Table of contents

• 1 PRE & POST PANDEMIC TRENDS
• 2 HABITS AND MOTIVES
• 3 OTHER TRENDS
• 4 REFERENCES

PRE & POST PANDEMIC TRENDS

• Tourism is thriving and Brighton & Hove outperforms its peers in volume and value and in the number of tourism jobs it supports.
• Brighton has a reputation as a vibrant UK city known for its nightlife and social inclusivity.
• Brighton receives almost twice as many day visitors as Bournemouth, Cambridge , or Southend.
• The most popular main attraction for tourists is Brighton Pier followed by the British Airways i360 and the Royal Pavilion.
• Conferences account for 154,000 trips to Brighton.
• The Covid-19 pandemic had a devastating effect on the city’s visitor economy, which includes tourism, hospitality, events, attractions, and heritage.
• Brighton welcomes over 9.5m day visitors each year accounting for just over 85% of all visitors to the city.
• The total number of nights spent in Brighton by domestic visitors in 2019 increased from 2.87 million bed nights to 3.15 million bed nights (an increase of 10% compared to 2018).
• In 2019, Brighton had 10.7 million day trips and 1.6 million overnight visits.
• Brighton received over 12 million visitors in 2019 and tourism contributed an estimated £976.4m to the local economy.
• VisitBrighton is the Destination Management Organisation (DMO) for Brighton & Hove.
• Brighton is positioned as ‘vibrant, colorful and creative’, with a thriving culture scene, iconic attractions, great shopping, award-winning restaurants, and easy access to the stunning Sussex countryside, including the South Downs National Park, home to the dramatic Seven Sisters cliffs.
• Brighton’s tourism sector supports 23,233 jobs, both for local residents and those living nearby.
• The months with the lowest number of tourists to Brighton are January and February.
• The largest number of tourists visiting Brighton is during July and August.
• Brighton remains one of the most popular day trip destinations from London for foreign visitors.
• The City has over 100 hotels and guest houses providing over 9000-bed spaces for every night of the year.
• Brighton hosts the UK’s largest Pride event every August and Europe’s first Trans Pride is held there.
• The City has been a tourist destination for 250 years and was one of the first destinations to develop in Europe.
• Day visitors and conference tourism account for the strong performance of tourism in Brighton.
• Brighton is the most popular city for same-sex weddings and you can see rainbow flags everywhere. All these give Brighton that special mix of diversity and acceptance. 
• Brighton and Hove is a seaside tourism-based economy and the jobs of many rely on the city projecting a tourist-friendly image.
• The city’s visitor economy, which includes tourism, hospitality, events, attractions, and heritage, is widely acknowledged as having been badly damaged by the pandemic.
• The City has world-renowned attractions from the Royal Pavilion to the Pier , The Sealife Centre to The Volks . It has entertainment venues including the Theatre Royal and The Dome and cultural events including over 56 festivals per year .
• The three main countries of origin of overseas visitors were: Germany, Netherlands, and USA.

HABITS AND MOTIVES

• Day visitors tend to come at weekends, in the summer months, and for big festivals and events.
• Visitors to Brighton & Hove are happy with their experience of the city. Of those surveyed, both day and overnight visitors rated the overall enjoyment of their visit to the city highly at 8.71 out of 10. 
• The most popular activity for visitors was going to the beach and seafront, followed by eating out, exploring independently, visiting a tourist attraction, and shopping.
• Those visiting the city for a conference are among the highest spenders with an average of £254.57 spent within a 24-hour period.

OTHER TRENDS

• The city competes directly for some very significant major conferences against cities such as Belfast, Liverpool, Manchester, Glasgow , and Birmingham.
• Many of the jobs in hotels, cafés, and bars are seasonal and low-paid, taken up by people who come to Brighton to work temporarily, frequently from EU countries.
• Destinations across England are increasingly working together to find creative and cost-effective ways to access new markets, in particular international leisure visitors and international conference trips.
• In 2018, Brighton received 1,820 international bednights from international visitors who arrived via Gatwick .
• January is the month with the lowest hotel prices in Brighton. In contrast, August is statistically the most expensive month of the year for hotels.
• Brighton resources are stretched at peak times. At peak times the city center can feel like it’s bursting at the seams with day visitors.
• The city council is spending £1 million to improve the look and feel of Brighton and Hove.
• Brighton Greeters  is a free program that connects visitors with a volunteer local guide. The guide will spend two hours showing visitors around the city on a personalized tour.
• Brighton is unofficially known as the queer capital of the UK, and most of the gay and lesbian nightlife is in the Kemptown neighborhood along St. James Street. 
• While the UK is one of the most expensive countries in the world, Brighton is more affordable than other cities thanks to its cheap pubs, public parks, free beaches, and affordable hostels.

https://www.whereandwhen.net/when/europe/england/brighton/

https://democracy.brighton-hove.gov.uk/documents/s167130/Tourism%20Recovery%20Plan.pdf

https://www.visitbrighton.com/dbimgs/Brighton%20EIA%202019.pdf

https://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/news/2017/international-travel-trade-meet-best-british-brighton

https://www.brightonandhovenews.org/2019/11/23/tourism-numbers-boom-as-brighton-and-hove-bucks-the-trend/

https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/19323114.english-tourism-week-visiting-brighton-covid-lockdown/

https://www.investmentmonitor.ai/uk/brightons-future-hangs-in-the-balance

https://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/news/2021/plan-help-citys-tourism-and-hospitality-industry-bounce-back

https://www.brightonandhovenews.org/2020/11/21/the-importance-of-tourism-to-brighton-and-hove/

Hello! I am Axel, tripplo.com’s travel savings, deals and discounts expert and founder. I have been in the travel deals and discounts industry for almost a decade now. It’s me who publish and update most of the content and discounts on tripplo.com! I also have a podcast in which I share valuable information about how to get the best travel deals and discounts.

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VisitBrighton plays key role in recovery of tourism and wider economy

The work of VisitBrighton has been recognised by Brighton & Hove City Council’s Tourism, Equalities, Communities & Culture Committee (TECC) as essential in supporting tourism and the wider visitor economy of the city.

The Tourism Recovery and VisitBrighton report shows that although the sector was hit hard by the Covid pandemic, VisitBrighton has been working hard to speed the city’s recovery.

Visitor numbers down 27% due to pandemic

In 2020, Brighton & Hove welcomed 9 million visitors - a decrease of 27 per cent on 2019 figures, in line with other destinations across the UK. The visitor economy supports not only businesses where visitors spend money directly, but jobs involved with a range of goods and services provided by local suppliers.

Economic benefit from tourism down 61%

In 2020 the sector supported 6,748 Full Time Equivalent jobs and 9,213 jobs - around seven per cent of all employee jobs in the city - down from 17 per cent in 2019. In total, tourism generated £370 million of economic benefit for Brighton & Hove in 2020, down 61% on 2019.

“Significant” contribution by VisitBrighton

Cllr Martin Osborne, Co-chair of the TECC, said:

“It is impossible to overestimate the immense effect that the pandemic has had on the economy and individual livelihoods in the city. This is why the work of VisitBrighton in promoting the city as a vibrant tourist destination and conference venue is of vital importance. VisitBrighton plays a significant role, enabling constructive dialogue with stakeholders.

“The value contribution that VisitBrighton generates in supporting the visitor economy is significant; the cost of the service to Brighton & Hove City Council is £342,080, which equates to a high value return on a relatively small city investment.”

Digital, print and broadcast media coverage

In the year 2021-22, there were 2.5 million page views of the VisitBrighton website, and the #nevernormalbrighton digital campaign gained more than 4.1 million impressions. Social media accounts on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram achieved over 44 million impressions.

Coverage was secured in regional and national print media, amounting to Advertising Value Equivalent (AVE) of £1.8 million, and the VisitBrighton newsletter was sent out to 10 thousand consumers.

Grant funding of £125K was secured from national government for the ‘Enjoy Summer Safely’ campaign while a campaign with Hotels.com resulted in bookings for 3,800 room nights creating £420k of spend. ‘Welcome Local’ promoted the unique offer of eight local areas, with VisitBrighton creating ten one-minute promotional videos which are available for all Brighton & Hove stakeholders to use.

Working with local businesses

The organisation works with 355 partner businesses, sending out a partnership newsletter to more than 26 thousand recipients, and manages the City Champions and VisitBrighton Greeters volunteer groups.

VisitBrighton also trains staff and supplies literature for 14 Visitor Information Points in the city.

VisitBrighton's work  is “invaluable”

Laura Hogbin, Commercial Director of the Hilton Brighton Metropole said:

“We have worked with VisitBrighton for many years as the work they do is invaluable to the Hilton Brighton Metropole and the city. The business confirmed via the conference team is a great asset to the hotel and the press coverage generated by the marketing team ensures Brighton & Hove remains a popular place to visit.

Hoping for increase when 2021 figures released

The annual figures for 2021 will be available in December 2022, and VisitBrighton is hoping to see an increase in visitor numbers, as the city began to recover over the course of the year.

How VisitBrighton works with local businesses

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Kew Gardens and Brighton Pier top the most visited list in England for 2021

2022-09-15T08:19:00+01:00

VisitEngland has revealed its annual survey for 2021, showing gardens and museums were once again popular, along with Brighton Pier and a number of wildlife attractions.

Kew Gardens and Brighton Pier were among the most visited tourist hotspots in Britain last year. 

The survey, which gathered information from more than 1,100 English attractions, shows the most visited ‘paid for’ attraction in England last year was the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. It’s the the second year in a row that the attraction has topped the table, with two million people visiting in 2021, up 61% on 2020. Chester Zoo was second with 1.6 million visitors and RHS Garden Wisley third with 1.4 million, which was up 14% on 2019.

Topping the list of free attractions in England last year was Brighton Pier with 4.3 million visitors, up 4% on 2020. Second was the Natural History Museum with 1.6 million visitors and the third most visited free attraction in England in 2021 was the British Museum with 1.3 million visitors.

VisitEngland director Andrew Stokes said: “From our world-renowned museums, galleries, castles and historic houses to our rural, wildlife and outdoor attractions, our outstanding visitor attractions are crucial to our tourism offer, also boosting local economies across England.” 

The top 20…

Four wildlife attractions made the top ten in the most visited ‘paid for’ attractions, proving wildlife experiences are on the rise. Chester Zoo finished in second spot, with both ZSL zoos (Whipsnade and London) in sixth and seventh spot, as well as Longleat Safari & Adventure Park in ninth.

London visits dominated the free attraction list, with seven out of the top ten located in England’s capital. The Station (in Richmond) saw an increase in visitors across 2021 with just under 300,000. 

The survey also shows that while visits to visitor attractions in England increased by 30% overall last year compared to 2020, as attractions began to reopen and build back from the pandemic, 2021 visitor numbers were still down from 2019.

You can see a full report of the findings by clicking here

• VisitEngland

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Visitor numbers rise as Brighton makes most of past, present and future

Last weekend was a great success for Brighton and Hove, with nearly 400,000 joining in one of the biggest parties in the UK.

It’s shaping up to be a great summer for the city, with visitor numbers for the period April to July up around 10,000 on last year.

The Royal Pavilion has seen the number of people touring the Prince Regent’s eccentric masterpiece grow from 150,000 in 2016 to nearly 160,000 this year. The number of overseas visitors to the Pavilion is up nearly 6 per cent.

Next door the numbers of people touring Brighton Museum is up by 7,000 on the previous 12 months.

This is reflected in £50,000 more being spent in their shops and cafés than the same period previously.

With 4,650,000 people visiting Brighton Palace Pier, it has secured its position as the fourth-most-visited tourist attraction in the UK, beaten only by London’s British Museum, the National Gallery and the Tate Modern.

Half a million visited the British Airways i360 in its first year.

This weekend Premier League football comes to the Amex, putting the city on a global stage with matches being broadcast in China and across the world.

We learned from the Rugby World Cup a few years ago just what a positive impact sport can have on visitors.

Tourism has been a key part of our economy for over a hundred years. The conference and leisure trade drive employment in hotels, bars, restaurants and the industries that service them year round.

We undoubtedly face difficult times ahead and we must not let up in making our offer to visitors from the UK, Europe and beyond as good as it can be.

Public and private investment coming into our city means the covers are up, cranes are moving and work is under way on many sites such as the Grand, the Shelter Hall and Circus Street.

The Madeira Terrace, Aquarium Terraces and Waterfront projects will follow, delivering an expanded Churchill Square and a new conference centre and entertainment venue at Black Rock.

Brighton and Hove is doing well but we must build for the future while making the most of what we have inherited from the past, showing we are open for business and pleasure whatever the economic or meteorological weather.

Councillor Warren Morgan is the Labour leader of Brighton and Hove City Council.

Cllr Morgan can paint it any colour he wants but the truth is the City is in a bad way.If you go away for a length of time and come back you can see the way the City has detiriorated.Whereas if you live in The City and see it on an almost daily basis you do not necassarily see the change,a bit like a smoker doesn’t see their home gradually change colour.

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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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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

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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

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• Europe: growth in international tourist arrivals from Africa1980-2030
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• Italy: number of overnight stays of Austrians in 2015, by region of destination
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