how many tourist visit england each year

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 employment in the UK 2019-2022
• Outbound tourism visits from the UK 2019-2022, by purpose
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Statistics on " Travel and tourism in the United Kingdom (UK) "

• Travel and tourism's total contribution to GDP in the UK 2019-2022
• 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
• 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
• 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
• Most popular hotel brands in the UK Q3 2023
• 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

Accommodation

• Premium Statistic Number of accommodation businesses in the United Kingdom (UK) 2008-2021
• Premium Statistic Number of accommodation enterprises in the United Kingdom (UK) 2018-2021, by type
• Premium Statistic Turnover of accommodation businesses in the United Kingdom (UK) 2008-2021
• Premium Statistic Turnover of accommodation services in the United Kingdom (UK) 2015-2021, by sector
• Premium Statistic Number of hotel businesses in the United Kingdom (UK) 2008-2021
• Basic Statistic Most popular hotel brands in the UK Q3 2023
• Premium Statistic Consumer expenditure on accommodation in the UK 2005-2022

Travel behavior

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

Further related statistics

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

Further Content: You might find this interesting as well

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

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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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What are you looking for?

64+ uk travel & tourism statistics (2023).

London is one of the top five most popular cities for tourism worldwide. It’s truly an icon of the United Kingdom and the country’s leading tourist destination.

Well, have you ever wondered what the most visited attractions are in the UK?

Or how much money tourism brings in to the UK’s economy?

Below, we’ve compiled data from numerous reliable sources to present some of the latest statistics about travel and tourism in the UK.

Whether you want to learn more about UK tourism or are simply preparing for your next visit, you’ve come to the right place! 

Let’s get started…

Sources : You’ll find the source of each statistics directly under it, or head over to the end of the post for a full list of all articles and sources used.

Travellerspoint

How many tourists visit the UK each year?

In 2019, there were 40.86 million tourist arrivals registered in the United Kingdom.

What percentage of the UK economy is tourism?

The total contribution of travel and tourism to the UK’s GDP increased by 40% from 2020 to 2021, after plummeting dramatically from the £234.5 billion contribution in 2019.

Where does the UK rank in tourism?

With 39.4 million visitor arrivals in 2019, the UK ranks tenth in the top visited countries in the world.

How many tourists visit wales each year?

More than 1 million tourists visit Wales each year, spending a total of £3 billion annually.

UK Travel & Tourism Key Statistics

• The number of international tourist arrivals in the UK fell significantly to 11.1 million in 2020, which is a 73% decrease.
• Holiday is the main reason overseas tourists visited the UK, with 1.3 million visits being made for this reason, or 44% of all overseas visits. 
• With 4.2 million visits, Spain was the most visited country by UK residents in 2021.
• In 2021, 30% of all travel and tourism spending in the UK was for business travel, while 70% was leisure spending.
• London is the most popular city in the UK for international travelers, reaching the top 5 most popular cities worldwide in 2019 with 19.56 million tourists.
• There were 18,530 accommodation businesses in the UK in 2020.
• Hotels and similar accommodations are the most common accommodation type in the UK, with 9,837 establishments recorded in 2020.
• After London, the second most visited city in Britain is Edinburgh with 2.2 million visitors in 2019.
• The British Museum is the most visited tourist attractions in the United Kingdom according to 2019 figures.

UK inbound tourism statistics

How many tourists visit Britain each year?

1. There were 3 million overseas visits to the UK in June 2022, a 7% increase from the 2.8 million visits in May 2022.

[ons.gov.uk]

2. However, this figure is still 19% lower than the pre-pandemic levels, which was 3.7 million in June 2019.

In the UK and elsewhere in the world, pre-pandemic figures in travel and tourism are still significantly better.

3. In 2019, there were 40.86 million tourist arrivals registered in the United Kingdom.

[WorldData]

The number of tourist arrivals include anyone who spends at least one night in the UK but doesn’t reside there for more than 12 months. However, the survey excludes business and non-tourism arrivals.

4. The number of international tourist arrivals in the UK fell significantly to 11.1 million in 2020, which is a 73% decrease from 2019.

5. Holiday is the main reason overseas tourists visited the UK, with 1.3 million visits being made for this reason, or 44% of all overseas visits. 

6. another popular reason for visiting the uk from abroad was to visit friends or relatives (1 million visits or 34% of the total)., outbound tourism in the uk.

How many outbound visits are made from the UK each year?

7. In June 2022, UK residents made 7.8 million overseas visits, or 23% more, compared to May 2022.

8. likewise, this is also still lower than the 9.1 million recorded overseas visits made by uk residents in june 2019., 9. out of these overseas visits made by uk residents, 6.6 million or 85% were to european countries..

UK residents make up a significant portion of the international tourism in Europe .

10. With 4.2 million visits, Spain was the most visited country by UK residents in 2021.

This is still a significant decrease from the 18 million visits to Spain made by UK residents in 2019.

11. The top outbound travel destination for UK residents in 2021 was followed by France, Portugal, and Greece.

The UK is actually the top inbound travel market for France, with 13 million visits recorded in 2018 .

12. Great Britain is an important market for the Republic of Ireland, making up 42% of all overseas visits to the country.

[TourismIreland]

42% of all international visits to Ireland are made by residents from Great Britain.

13. 72% of those who travel abroad from the UK do so as a holiday.

14. meanwhile, 23% of uk residents travel overseas to visit friends or family., uk tourism spending.

How big is the UK tourism industry?

15. In June 2022, overseas residents spent £2.7 billion in the UK.

16. in contrast, uk residents spent £6.2 billion while overseas the same month., 17. the total contribution of travel and tourism to the uk’s gdp increased by 40% from 2020 to 2021, after plummeting dramatically from the £234.5 billion contribution in 2019..

This shows that in 2021, travel and tourism in the UK are beginning to look up again following the various restrictions of the coronavirus pandemic.

18. In 2021, 30% of all travel and tourism spending in the UK was for business travel, while 70% was leisure spending.

30% of tourism spending in the UK was for corporate travel.

19. In the United Kingdom, domestic visitors contributed 96% of total travel and tourism spending in 2021, compared to 81% in 2019.

The increasing segment of domestic tourist spending in comparison to international shows that international tourism has yet to recover in the UK.

20. Total travel and tourism revenue in the United Kingdom reached $18 billion in 2021, with the leading industry being hotels, generating $6.5 billion in 2021.

21. according to the statista mobility market outlook, revenue across all travel and tourism industries in the uk will grow and surpass pre-pandemic levels by 2023., 22. the uk travel and tourism industry generated a total of 4.11 million jobs in 2021. it has not yet reached the pre-pandemic levels of 4.28 million jobs in 2019..

Meanwhile, the number dropped slightly to 4.09 million in 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic was at its peak.

23. The median full-time salary of employees in the UK hotel industry is £20,300.

24. meanwhile, full-time workers in the passenger rail transport and interurban industry has a median salary of almost £40,300..

The rail transport and interurban industry remains one of the highest-paying one within all tourism and hospitality industries in the UK.

25. Solo travellers from the UK spend an average of €340 on flight and hotel, the most out of other European solo travellers.

British citizens who travel solo are recorded to spend €340 on average for their flight and hotel alone.

Domestic tourism in the UK

How big is domestic tourism in the UK?

26. The number of overnight trips in Great Britain almost reached 119 million between April and December 2021, which is nearly caught up with the pre-pandemic number of 2019.

27. in terms of trip purpose, residents of great britain took 45 million overnight vacations and 43 million overnight trips to visit friends and relatives in domestic destinations., 28. in 2019, british tourists took 1.65 billion domestic day trips within great britain..

Day trips here are used to refer to visits that last at least three hours, to destinations where they do not reside in.

29. Britons spend an average of £770 on staycations in 2021, a 12% decrease from the £874 average in 2019.

30. british tourists tend to prefer cities than countryside when taking day trips within great britain., 31. in 2019, seaside destinations were most popular with day trippers in wales (19%), compared to 10% of respondents in england and scotland each..

Residents of Wales show a higher tendency and preference to seaside destinations compared to day trippers from Scotland and England.

London tourism statistics

How much does tourism contribute to London?

32. London is the most popular city in the UK for international travelers, reaching the top 5 most popular cities worldwide in 2019 with 19.56 million tourists.

33. despite being one of the most popular cities for tourism, london is actually only the 27th biggest city in terms of population (8.96 million)., 34. london tourism has grown steadily from 2011, reaching its peak in 2019 with a total of 21.71 million international visits that year., 35. however, in 2021, overseas arrivals in london plummeted to just 2.72 million, which is an 87.5% decrease..

36. Visitors in London spent a total of £2,104 million in 2019, but fell to £409 million due the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.

37. the 1.3 million overnight stays in london in 2019 also decreased to 300 thousand in 2020., 38. likewise, day visits dropped from 19.7 million in 2019 to 4.3 million the year after., 39. finally, the number of visits to attractions in london decreased by almost 80% from 2019 to 2020 (7.44 million to 1.56 million)., uk travel accommodation.

How many hotels are there in the UK?

40. There were 18,530 accommodation businesses in the UK in 2020.

41. Hotels and similar accommodations are the most common accommodation type in the UK, with 9,837 establishments recorded in 2020.

There are 9,837 hotels businesses in the UK in 2020, making it the most common type of vacation rental in the country.

42. This is compared to the 5,135 holiday and other short stay accommodations, and 2,270 campgrounds, RV parks, and trailer parks. 

RV ownership in the UK reached a record high of £1.15 billion in 2021 , which might mean that the number of campgrounds, RV parks, and trailer parks will increase even more.

43. Premier Inn is the most popular hotel brand in the UK. 74% of respondents in a 2022 survey stated that they liked the brand.

44. the second most popular hotel brand in the uk is travelodge with 56% stating a positive opinion on it..

45. The number of hotel guests in the UK is predicted to continuously rise by 23.92% within the next few years, reaching 48.21 million in 2026.

46. in 2020, there were 254 thousand airbnb listings in the uk, making it the top 6 country with the highest number of active airbnb listings in the world..

[AllTheRooms]

The UK has 254 thousand active Airbnb listings , the sixth highest number from all countries worldwide.

UK top travel destinations

What is the number 1 tourist attraction in the UK?

47. After London, the second most visited city in Britain is Edinburgh with 2.2 million visitors in 2019.

[VisitBritain]

48. It is followed by Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool, Glasgow, Brighton/Hove, Bristol, and finally, Oxford and Cambridget at the 9th and 10th spots.

49. 41.8 million tourists visited birmingham in 2017, 6.9% more than 2016, and generated £7.1 billion in revenue. , 50. more than 1 million tourists visit wales each year, spending £3 billion annually..

[Geography in the News]

51. Most tourists to Wales come from the Republic of Ireland, USA and Germany.

Wales is one of the four countries that make up the United Kingdom, and American tourists make up a huge proportion of visitors in Wales.

52. 40% of all visits to Lancashire in 2021 were to Blackpool, with a total of 18.81 million visits that year.

Blackpool is a famous seaside resort best known for Blackpool Pleasure Beach and its charming old-school amusement park. Its number of visitors has more than doubled since 2020.

53. The British Museum is the most visited tourist attractions in the United Kingdom according to 2019 figures.

54. this is followed by tate modern, the national gallery, the natural history museum, and southbank centre..

It is clear that art galleries and museums are some of the most popular types of tourist attractions in the UK.

55. In 2021, Windsor Great Park is the most visited tourist attractions in the United Kingdom

Windsor Great Park is the most visited attraction in the UK in 2021. However, the 2019 is more representative of the usual UK tourism as it’s not affected by pandemic-related travel restrictions.

56. The most popular destination in the UK for a winter staycation is the North West, with 17% of respondents stating that they intend to visit the region.

A staycation refers to a holiday spent in one’s own country or hometown as opposed to abroad or out of town.

57. 15% said that they intended to visit Scotland during their winter holiday, while only 4% were planning to visit Northern Ireland.

Travel bookings and behaviours in the uk.

How do tourists in the UK book their travels?

58. A 2022 survey in the UK reveals that hotels are the most popular travel products to be booked online, with 38% claiming they have booked hotels online in the past 12 months.

38% of respondents have booked hotels in the UK online in the past 12 months, which includes website and app bookings.

59. Another survey conducted among different age groups in the UK showed that people aged 25 to 54 years old prefer to use online travel agencies to book their overseas holiday.

In fact, the UK is the 7th most popular destination for Gen Z and millennial travellers .

60. Meanwhile, agencies and tour operators were the favorite choice for individuals aged under 24 years plus 65 years and older.

61. 48% of travelers in the uk tend to use their smartphone as a guide while traveling., 62. in june 2022, 46% of women in the uk claimed that they had not taken a holiday in the last month, compared to 44% of men..

The percentage of men and women who had not taken a holiday doesn’t differ by much, but in general, women tend to travel less in the UK.

63. At the height of the pandemic in April 2020, 73% of adults in the UK had taken no holiday in the last month. This percentage fell to just 45% in June 2022.

Overall, 13.8% of British baby boomers travels overseas.

64. After the pandemic, the number of people who searched for “glamping holidays uk” and “uk staycation” on Google grew by 400%.

400% more people searched for “glamping holidays uk” and “uk staycation” on Google in the UK, which revealed the growing interest in both domestic travel and glamping holidays.

65. British travellers comprise 6.61% of Booking.com's web traffic.

The UK is the second largest online audience for Booking.com (6.61%) .

From fish and chips to Big Ben, the Royal Family to the Beatles, the UK is one of the biggest countries in terms of travel and tourism—both as a destination in itself and because British residents are known to travel a lot!

We’ve tried to be as thorough as possible, but we might have missed one or two interesting statistics about the UK.

Feel free to comment with your thoughts!

Meanwhile, you might love some of these other stats:

• Digital Nomad Statistics
• Family Travel & Tourism Statistics
• Paris Travel & Tourism Statistics
• Pet Travel Statistics
• TourismIreland
• WorldData 1
• WorldData 2
• AllTheRooms
• VisitBritain
• Geography in the News

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5 million people can't be wrong

• radicalstorage.com

UK Tourism Statistics 2023

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

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

Key Statistics

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

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

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

How many people work in tourism in the UK?

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

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

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

Sources [ 3 ] [ 4 ]

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

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

Sources [ 4 ][ 5 ]

Average spend per visit by country

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

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

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

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

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

Sources [ 3 ]  

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

Source [ 4 ]

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

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

Source [ 7 ]

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

Most-visited countries by UK residents

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

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

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

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

Sources [ 9 ] [ 10 ]

Why do people choose a staycation in the UK?

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

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

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

Source [ 12 ]

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

Total visits to London

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

Most popular visitor attractions in London

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

More London tourism facts

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Giacomo Piva

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

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• Entering and staying in the UK
• Border control
• Immigration statistics, year ending March 2021
• Home Office

How many people come to the UK each year (including visitors)?

Updated 18 June 2021

© Crown copyright 2021

This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: [email protected] .

Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.

This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-year-ending-march-2021/how-many-people-come-to-the-uk-each-year-including-visitors

Back to ‘Immigration statistics, year ending March 2021’ content page .

This is not the latest release. View latest release .

Data relate to the year ending March 2021 and all comparisons are with the year ending March 2020, unless indicated otherwise.

On 11 March 2020, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the COVID-19 outbreak as a global pandemic. A range of restrictions were implemented in many parts of the world, and the first UK lockdown measures were announced on 23 March 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the UK immigration system, both in terms of restricting migrant movements to and from the UK and the impact on operational capacity.

Year ending comparisons that follow will include impacts resulting from the restrictions put in place during this period of the pandemic.

This section contains data on:

• Passenger arrivals to the UK
• Grants of Entry clearance visas to individuals outside the UK
• Visitors to the UK

1. Passenger arrivals to the UK

There were an estimated 18.0 million passenger arrivals in the year ending March 2021 (including returning UK residents), an 87% (123.2 million) decrease compared with the previous year. This was due to the travel restrictions imposed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Additional information on monthly air passenger arrivals during this period is provided in the separate Home Office report Immigration and border statistics relating to COVID-19 . These data show that there were 447,300 air passenger arrivals to the UK in April 2021. This is four times (298%) higher than the total number of air arrivals for April 2020, immediately following the start of the first UK lockdown, when there were 112,300 arrivals. However, this remains around 5% of the number of arrivals in April 2019 (9,120,400).

Figure 1: Passenger arrivals to the UK, by nationality group 1 , years ending March 2012 to March 2021

Source: Passenger arrivals (admissions) summary table – Adm_01_q

• Nationality breakdowns for 2019 onwards are not available (see ‘ Landing cards ’).

Figure 1 shows that arrivals had generally been increasing each year. However, the number of passenger arrivals over the course of the year ending March 2021, following the introduction of COVID-19 travel restrictions from March 2020, was around one eighth of the number in a normal year.

In 2018, the latest full period for which a nationality breakdown is available, there were 142.9 million passenger arrivals, of which 81.7 million (57%) were returning British citizens, 40.8 million (29%) other EEA nationals and 20.4 million (14%) from outside the EEA. Only certain nationalities (‘visa-nationals’) are required to obtain an Entry clearance visa before coming to the UK, which is why there are considerably more passenger arrivals than visas granted.

There were 668,979 visas granted in the year ending March 2021, 78% fewer than the previous year, a similar reduction to overall arrivals. Of the visas granted in this last 12 months, 38% were for study, 26% were to visit, 18% were to work, 6% were for family, and 12% for other reasons.

Figure 2: Entry clearance visas granted, years ending March 2012 to March 2021

Source: Entry clearance visa applications and outcomes – Vis_D02

Figure 2 shows that the total number of visas granted was stable between 2013 and 2016 at around 2.5 million, it then rose steadily to a peak of 3.2 million in 2019. The number then fell significantly due the COVID-19 pandemic to below 1 million in the year ending March 2021.

2. Visitors to the UK

Many nationalities, including US nationals (who accounted for over a quarter of non-EEA passenger arrivals in 2018) do not normally require a visa to visit the UK; consequently, there are considerably fewer Visitor visas granted than visitor arrivals. Nonetheless, in the year ending March 2021, there were 243,774 applications for Visitor visas, less than a tenth (9%) of the number in the previous year, a reduction largely a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over the same period, there were 175,005 Visitor visas granted, 92% lower than the previous year with particular falls for Chinese (down 574,828 or 98%) and Indian (down 464,887 or 93%) nationals. Indian (32,600) and Nigerian (22,126) nationals together accounted for 31% of all Visitor visas granted.

Additional information on visitors to the UK is published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in its quarterly bulletin Overseas travel and tourism statistics .

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, visa application centres were closed by 31 March 2020 and only began gradually reopening from June 2020.

In Q1 (January to March) 2021, the number of Visitor visa applications was 85% lower than the same period in 2020 and there were 90% fewer Visitor visas granted .

Figure 3: Visitor visas issued, by month, 2019, 2020 and 2021

Source: Entry clearance visa applications and outcomes: Vis_D02

Figure 3 shows that Visitor visa grants were close to zero during April and May 2020. The number of Visitor visa applications granted in each month of the year ending March 2021 was only a small fraction compared to the same month a year earlier.

3. British National Overseas (BN(O)) route

On 31 January 2021 the UK Government introduced a new immigration route for British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) status holders, providing the opportunity for them and their family members to live, work and study in the UK. The data below relates to the first quarter of 2021, January to March and is derived from management information. This data is rounded to the nearest hundred. Data for Q2 2021 will be published on 26th August 2021.

There were 34,300 applications for the BN(O) route in Q1 of 2021, with 20,600 out of country applications, and 13,700 in country applications. Of the total, 20,000 were main applicants and 14,300 were dependants.

There were 5,600 grants of out of country BN(O) visas made in Q1 of 2021, of which 3,600 were for main applicants and 2,000 were for dependants. There were 1,600 grants of in country BN(O) visas made in Q1 of 2021, of which 1,200 were main applicants and 400 were dependants.

As expected, the majority of grants (86%) were to BN(O) and/or Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) passport holders. Dependants holding passports for countries other than HKSAR accounted for 41% of grants to dependants.

In Q1 of 2021, an estimated 5,500 BN(O) and/or HKSAR passport holders were granted “leave outside the rules” at the UK border. This figure is taken from the latest internal management information and is subject to revision.

4. About these statistics

The statistics in this section provide an indication of the number of people who enter the UK.

The data do not show whether, or when, an individual arrived in the UK, what they did on arrival to the UK or how long they stayed in the UK.

Many non-EEA nationals do not normally require a visa to visit the UK. As a result, they will be counted in the passenger arrivals data but not in the visa data. A list of designated nationalities referred to as ‘visa nationals’ who do require a visa in order to visit the UK can be found in Immigration Rules Appendix V: visitor rules .

EEA and Swiss nationals do not require a visa to visit the UK.

For several reasons, data on passenger arrivals are not directly comparable with data on Entry clearance visas granted. A summary of what each dataset counts is provided below.

4.1 Passenger arrivals

Data on passenger arrivals relate to the number of arrivals into the UK. The data include British, EEA and Swiss nationals, as well as non-EEA nationals. For non-EEA nationals who are subject to immigration controls, more detailed information is available on their nationality and purpose of their journey up until 2018.

Passenger arrivals are counted each time an individual enters the UK. Where an individual enters the UK more than once in a period, they will be counted each time they enter (but if they arrive each time on the same visa, they will be counted once in the visas data).

Visitor arrivals data included in this topic are based on landing cards completed as people cross the border. In light of the introduction of new digital systems at the border, the use of landing cards was reviewed (see Landing cards ). The review resulted in the decision to remove the need for non-EEA nationals to complete a landing card on arrival into the UK. Further data relating to visitor arrivals will not be available until an alternative method of collection is developed.

4.2 Entry clearance visas

Data on Entry clearance visas in this section refer to the number of visas granted for all reasons within the period. If an individual was granted multiple visas in a given period, this will be counted as multiple grants in the statistics. If an individual entered the UK multiple times within the period for which a visa was valid, this will be counted as one grant in the visa statistics, but multiple arrivals in the passenger arrivals data.

Year-on-year comparisons of the number of decisions can be affected by quarterly fluctuations in the data. Such fluctuations can be examined in more detail in the quarterly data that are available in the published tables.

Several known factors may have affected the number of applications and outcomes of visit-related visas over time. For example, the Home Office launched a two-year Chinese visa pilot in January 2016 for Chinese nationals. The increase in longer-term Visitor visas may affect the number of subsequent re-applications by Chinese nationals.

More information on non-visitor arrival and visa data by category is included in ʻWhy do people come to the UK? To work’ , ʻWhy do people come to the UK? To study’ and ʻWhy do people come to the UK? For family reasons’ .

In January 2021 the UK Government introduced a new immigration route for British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) status holders , providing the opportunity for them and their family members to live, work and study in the UK. This route opened on 31 January 2021 and is open to individuals who hold a BN(O) passport and are, or have recently been, resident in Hong Kong, and their dependants.

4.3 Landing cards

On 5 August 2017, the Home Office launched the ‘ Consultation on Home Office’s Immigration Statistics - arrivals data ’, on ending the requirement for non-EEA passengers to present a paper landing card on arrival into the UK from 1 October 2017. The consultation set out the statistical implications of the change and closed on 2 September 2017. The government confirmed in the Spring Statement 2019 that to coincide with the ePassport gates expansion, the government would begin to abolish landing cards for non-EEA travellers . On 20 May 2019, it removed the need for all non-EEA travellers to fill in landing cards upon arrival in the UK and expanded the use of ePassport gates to seven more countries . The government’s response to the consultation was published in May 2019. As anticipated in the original consultation, ahead of new electronic data sources being developed, the withdrawal of landing cards has resulted in a temporary loss to the passenger arrivals data broken down by nationality and reason for travel. The last set of published data on non-EEA nationals arriving in the UK (based on Landing Cards), cover the period 2004 to 2018) are available in ‘ Immigration statistics, year ending June 2019 second edition ’. Data on the total number of passenger arrivals will continue to be available as this comes from a different source.

5. Data tables

• Sponsorship summary tables
• Detailed sponsorship datasets
• Entry clearance visas summary tables
• Detailed Entry clearance visas datasets
• Admissions summary tables

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Fact Check: do tourists visit Britain because of the royal family?

Reader in Tourism and Management, Cardiff Metropolitan University

Senior Teaching Fellow (Tourism), University of Portsmouth

Disclosure statement

The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Cardiff Metropolitan University provides funding as a member of The Conversation UK.

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The royals draw millions of tourists every year.

The Daily Mail , November 20, 2017.

The Royal family are so important for tourism in London.

A spokesperson for VisitBritain, quoted in the International Business Times , November 27, 2017.

Regardless of whether you are a royalist or not, the royal family undeniably attracts public interest around the UK and internationally. Visits and tours by the royals generate extensive media attention – as well as tourists.

Love it or hate it, the pomp and pageantry associated with British royalty, whether routine events such as trooping the colour or anniversaries such as the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012, are rarely found in any other country. These public ceremonies, in addition to parts of the estates owned by the royal family, are important in attracting tourists.

When Prince William married Kate Middleton in April 2011, the UK’s Association of Leading Visitor Attractions claimed it:

Saw an additional 600,000 people come to London for the weekend, 60% from UK, 40% from overseas, spending £107m … The value to ‘brand Britain’ due to global media coverage was approximately £1 billion.

VisitBritain reported that, globally, more than two billion people watched the wedding ceremony, with its content aired by key broadcasters internationally. It wasn’t just visitors to London that increased – the Office for National Statistics reported that during April 2011, an extra 350,000 visitors travelled to the UK compared to 2010. Tourism also flourished on the island of Anglesey in Wales, where the royal couple lived after the wedding. Tourism managers said William and Kate brought priceless publicity and some tourism businesses reported a 20% increase in business in 2011.

The queen’s official residences also attract significant numbers of visitors : 2.8m people in 2016, with the top three being Windsor Castle (1,432,260 visitors), Buckingham Palace (576,995 visitors), and the Palace of Holyroodhouse (392,260 visitors). These statistics corroborate research by VisitBritain in 2011 which showed that more than 60% of overseas visitors who come to Britain are “likely” to visit places associated with the royal family.

Britain is recognised as a world-class destination for culture and heritage. Although VisitBritain does not collate statistics on the royal family as an attraction, in a 2012 response to a freedom of information request under its former name as the British Tourist Authority, it estimated that those visitors to the UK who are attracted by British culture and heritage spend in the region of £4.5 billion annually, out of a total overseas visitor spend of £17 billion. Approximately £500m of that £4.5 billion is attributed to attractions and events connected to the royal family, past and present.

There is an absence of data as to whether tourists go to the UK specifically because of the royal family. However, while tourists might not be primarily attracted to the UK solely by the monarchy, the spectacle of royal events and access to parts of the royal estate across the UK enables VisitBritain and other national tourism agencies to build on Britain’s tourism appeal which blends heritage, pageantry and the contemporary. In this way, the relationship between royalty and tourism has an important economic and destination marketing dimension.

Liz Sharples, senior teaching fellow (tourism), University of Portsmouth

It is not difficult to agree with the verdict of this fact check, although, as it points out, data specifically identifying “royalty and monarchy” as the main motivator for travel is hard to pinpoint.

VisitBritain states that 64% of visitors going to Britain plan to visit famous monuments and buildings with over a third of tourists visiting London listing a tour of Buckingham Palace as a bucket list activity.

In contrast, Republic, an anti-monarchy pressure group, challenges the view that the British monarchy is good for tourism and argues that other attractions pull in more visitors. In 2016, for example, the British Museum was the UK’s most visited attraction, and according to data from the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions, more people visited Chester Zoo and Kew Gardens than Windsor Castle .

However, with the current slump in the pound and the spring wedding of Prince Harry to American Meghan Markle, it is almost impossible not to agree that tourists (particularly those from the US) will be drawn – by royal invitation – to Britain in 2018.

• Royal Family
• Fact Check UK
• British monarchy

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