It was closely following by Tate Modern with 6.1 million visitors. Even if tourists are only visiting for one day, 16% of people manage to do some form of sightseeing. This is significantly faster than the overall economy. Welcome to VisitBritain/VisitEngland’s corporate website for UK tourism industry. Sightseeing is the most common activity, with 16% of those only in the UK for a day doing some form of sightseeing. The top 50 inbound tourism markets for Britain from 2009-2019 (XLS, 78KB) Visits and spend from 2005-2019 from smaller/emerging markets (XLS, 70KB) View our dedicated sections on UK nations, regions and counties as well as towns for data on specific locations within Britain. Best Tourist Destinations – Bristol. This report looks at where inbound visitors to the UK go on day trips, based on an extra question VisitBritain sponsored on the International Passenger Survey in 2016. 4 million people visited the UK in July 2019. From 22 May we will be working to update all of the data and documents on this page following the Office of National Statistics (ONS) revision of the International Passenger Survey (IPS) data for 2009-2018 and the released detailed 2019 data. How many jobs does tourism create in the UK. In England, Manchester is the second top city after London. In 2018, £7.3 billion was spent by overseas residents. Visits to the UK for holidays reached a new record in June 2019 with 1.6 million inbound holiday visits (up 18%). Read about the top destinations for day trips and characteristics of day trippers. 2017 had the highest number of visitors in one year (39.2 million). Find out the top towns for inbound visitors to Britain, as well as how many visits were made by overseas residents to the UK's towns. 37.9 million people visited from overseas in 2018 and spent £22.9 billion. If you are travelling on business or in a commercial vehicle please click here for Condor Ferries Freight. 15.1 million of those visited for a holiday. The EU is a major tourist destination, with four Member States among the world’s top ten destinations for holidaymakers, according to UNWTO data. Today, the city serves as one of the top tourist destinations in the world and is regarded as the cultural and historical center of Turkey. What are the most popular tourist destinations in the UK? Also UK residents travelling abroad, their reasons for travel and the amount of money they spent. Whereas, in the more rural parts of the UK, visiting the countryside, beaches, as well as national parks, are very popular amongst tourists. 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. Official statistics. The rest of England accounts for 33%, Scotland 10% and Wales 2%. Two million jobs are created by the UK travel industry. What are the most popular tourist attractions in the UK? Tourism in London statistics demonstrates the popularity of the capital in comparison to other locations in the UK as the city has 8 times more visitors than the second most visited city. Travel Stats, Top Destinations, Tourism, and More: The World's Top Tourism Destinations (international tourist arrivals) The following table shows the top ten tourism destinations according to the number and percent of tourist arrivals in each country during 2010. In addition, if the vehicle being taken is designed for the carriage of commercial goods it shall be reserved as freight regardless of its dimensions. £2.9 billion was spent on visits by overseas residents in July 2019. The number of outbound visitors from the UK totaled 72.8 million in 2018, a fall of 1% in 2017. 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. Data for many towns is based on small sample sizes, so using 3 or 4 year averages is highly recommended. was spent by overseas travellers in the UK in 2016. As part of the loveEXPLORING 2018 Best of Britain series, our experts have selected the top 50 British tourist attractions. Catch a show at the Dubai Opera, see downtown from atop the Burj Khalifa and spend an afternoon along Dubai Creek exploring the gold, textile and spice souks. In 2018 tourists visited the UK for the following reasons: 37.9 million tourists visited the UK in 2018. 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. 83 million tourists visit France every year and it is the leading tourist destination in the world.. London had almost eight times the number of visitors in 2018 than the next most visited city, Edinburgh. As part of the leisure activities research, the fund has produced a series of market and activities summaries. The World Tourism Organization reports the following destinations as the top ten tourism earners for the year 2018, with the United States by far the top earner. 6.9 million European residents visited in 2018, this has decreased by 3% from the previous year. A whopping 39.2 million people visited the UK in 2017, this is almost 66% of the UK population. GB Tourism Survey (GBTS) GB Day Visits Survey (GBDVS) England / UK Occupancy Survey; Annual Survey of Visits to Visitor Attractions; This means that when we release monthly and annual survey reports, we're required to follow the Code of Practice for Official Statistics (2009), as produced by the UK Statistics Authority (UKSA). How many tourists visit the UK each year? 7 million overseas residents visited in April 2027. Business visits accounted for 22% of all visits in 2018 and contributed to a spend of around £4.5 billion. 118.6 million domestic overnight trips were made in the UK in 2018, down 2% vs. 2017. Please confirm you agree to the use of cookies as set in our Cookie Policy. Find out the top towns for inbound visitors to Britain, as well as how many visits were made by overseas residents to the UK's towns. Tourism is an important activity in the EU which has the potential to contribute towards employment and economic growth, as well as to development in rural, peripheral or less-developed areas. The USA is the most visited country outside of Europe and the fourth most visited overall, with 4.8 million Brits travelling there. And we realized that to reimagine travel post-2020, we needed to reinvent ourselves first, so we updated our editorial practices to highlight more local and diverse voices. The statistics on UK residents travelling abroad are an informal indicator of living standards. Why do people visit the UK? Travellers from the US contribute most to the travel industry in the United Kingdom. For lengths over 7m please call 0345 609 1024 to book. This is almost two-thirds of the population of the UK. Situated 40 kilometers off the … These UK tourism employment statistics demonstrate the importance of tourism for employment. The capital attracts 8 times more travelers than the second most visited city in the UK. The travel website uncovered Britain's top 10 attractions, based on … 54% of all inbound visitor spend is accounted for by London. Source: International Passenger Survey, Office for National Statistics. Edinburgh is the second most visited city, known for its low crime rate and rich heritage it is understandable that Edinburgh is so popular. This is just under 10% of UK GDP. Global tourist arrivals grew 6.8% in 2017, hitting 1.32 billion. 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 most popular tourist activity and attraction is sightseeing. The best museums and galleries in the world are located there, most of which are free. Business visits increased to 24% in June 2019 (800,000). The USA is the top visiting country followed by France, Germany, the Irish Republic and Spain. Following the Scottish capital, other large cities like Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow were the next most popular destinations to visit. 3.9 million American tourists visited in 2018 and spent a collective £3.4 billion. The Tate Modern is the most popular attraction in the capital, with 5.9 million visitors in 2018. The Tower of London has been the UK's most popular attraction for 2019, according to TripAdvisor.. This rises to 33% for those visiting Wales. With collections of antiquities that are among the world's finest, the British … We use cookies to give you a better experience on our site. Yes, I would like to receive Condor Ferries newsletters. Attracting over 89 million tourists each year, France is the world's most … For every £1000 generated by direct tourism, a further £1800 is supported elsewhere in the economy. The city’s strategic location as a transcontinental Eurasian city has attracted a large number of empires and conquerors to this city in the past. There were 37.9 million visits to the UK in 2018. The British Museum in London was the most visited tourist attraction in the … It is expected to expand by 3.8% a year up until 2025, accounting for 10% of all jobs. 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. Wildlife attractions had a 4% participation rate, increasing to 6% amongst those visiting the South West, London and Scotland. Tourism is the fastest growing industry in Britain. In 2019, over 21.7 million visits were made to the city by international tourists. This has decreased by 3% from the previous year. This is a 19% increase from the previous year. By 2025, the tourism industry in the United Kingdom is set to be worth over £257 billion. 9% of visits include a trip to the theatre, this rises to 15% in London. International travellers described a possible trip to the UK as education over anything else. 47% of people stated that they associate the United Kingdom with Museums, it is also the most popular attraction in London. Inbound tourism is set to grow from £21 billion in 2013 to £57 billion by 2025. Download an excel table showing the 20 most visited towns and cities by visitors from overseas (XLS, 26.5KB) as far back as 1999. The World's Most-Visited Tourist Attractions, 2011. Students also help contribute large amounts to the economy, 500,000 students visit to learn English each year. International Passenger Survey data for towns and cities typically measures staying visits (where visitors stay overnight). Please visit the dedicated pages for national, regional and county data or detailed market information. 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. The UK accounted for 3.7% of international tourism receipts in 2017. The only other non-EU countries in the top ten were Australia and the USA. Visits by overseas residents decreased in 2018 in comparison to 2017. Tourism by World Region There are 2 reports that relate to destinations within Britain -. The British Museum is the most visited attraction in the United Kingdom, attracting 6.24 million visitors in 2019. Inbound tourism to the UK has been recorded at £50 billion. France is second, with 10.35 million. 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). Please select at least one adult to travel. Spain tops the list, with 18.13 million visitors from the UK in 2019. Those visiting for holidays reached a new record in June 2019 with 1.6 million inbound holiday visits (up 18%). 92% of business visits were repeat visits in 2015, 85% was to visit family and friends and 63% were holiday visits. London again emerged as Europe’s top city destination, attracting 20.72 million international arrivals in 2018, up from 19.84 million international arrivals in 2017. This is a, There was a decline of inbound visitors to the UK in 2018 falling. Mallorca. The British Museum. Overseas visitors to the UK reached 7 million in 2018, a 4.4% increase from 2017. In 2018, 37.9 million tourists visited the UK, but this reached an all-time high in 2017 with 39.2 million! History and heritage also draw in a lot of tourists, alongside ‘Britain only’ activities such as iconic landmarks and famous attractions. 3.9% of UK GVA (2017 est) ONS, Tourism Satellite Accounts Forecast Growth 2019 7.8% VisitBritain, 2019 SECTION 1: Volume and Value of the UK Tourism Industry 1: The Value of Tourism The UK Tourism Industry’s International Ranking • The UK is the seventh largest international tourism destination ranked by visitor numbers. London tourism statistics show The Tate Modern is the number one tourist attraction in the city, with 5.9 million visitors in 2018. There was a growth in spending across Wales (2%), North East (5%), Yorkshire (2%) and East Midlands (22%). From world-class museums and historical monuments to family-friendly outings and cutting edge art and media installations, these are the best tourist attractions in … Copyright © Condor Ferries ltd 2020. These markets also accounted for 27% of all overseas visitor spend. Explore UK Tourism Trends & Statistics on Inbound Tourism, Spend, Employment, Popular Tourist Destinations & more!