London was by far the most visited city by international tourists in the United Kingdom in 2024. That year, inbound visits to the UK's capital totaled just over ** million, staying marginally lower than in 2019, prior to the coronavirus pandemic. Edinburgh and Manchester followed in the ranking, reporting around *** million and *** million visits, respectively. Overall, the number of inbound visits to the UK reached ** million in 2024 but remained below pre-pandemic levels. What is the leading tourist attraction in London? Tourists visit London for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is its attractions. In 2024, the British Museum was London’s most visited tourist attraction, drawing in approximately *** million visitors. The Natural History Museum in South Kensington and the Tate Modern came next in the ranking, with about *** and *** million visitors, respectively. What is the leading region for summer staycations in the UK? A 'staycation' typically refers to a holiday spent in one's home country rather than abroad. It can also refer to a holiday spent at home involving day trips to local attractions. The leading region for summer staycations in the UK, according to a March 2025 survey, was the South West. Meanwhile, ** percent of respondents said that they intended to visit Scotland during their summer holiday while only *** percent stated that they would like to visit Northern Ireland.

In 2024, the number of overseas resident visits to the United Kingdom totaled 39 million, representing a growth of around three percent from the previous year. Has the UK’s tourism industry completely recovered from the coronavirus pandemic? Like in most countries, the travel restrictions put in place to stem the spread of the coronavirus wreaked havoc on the UK’s tourism industry. Overseas visitor numbers dropped to 7.1 million in 2021, representing a drop of over 80 percent from 2019. While the figure reported for 2024 showed a continued recovery in terms of overseas visitors to the UK, it remained below pre-pandemic levels. However, in terms of spending among the UK’s leading inbound travel markets, overseas visitors spent more in 2024 than in 2019, with visitors from the UK’s leading inbound travel market, the United States, spending around 70 percent more during their travels than in 2019. What are the most visited cities in the UK? Unsurprisingly, London has consistently ranked as the most visited town or city in the UK among international tourists in recent years, drawing in over 20 million visitors in 2024. This was around tenfold the number of the second-most visited city, Edinburgh, during the same year. As the UK’s capital city, London’s tourist attractions are as varied as the city itself; however, one particularly strong draw for inbound visitors is Royal Family-related tourism. This is evident with the top two most visited paid tourist attractions in England being based in London and either belonging to the Royal Family or being run by a Royal-affiliated charity. Meanwhile, among UK residents, London ranks as the second most popular destination for a summer staycation, with the South West ranking first.

London ranks as the most visited city or town in England by British residents, with a ***** year average of over ** million overnight trips made between 2017 and 2019. Visits to regional cities were significantly lower, though over *** million trips were recorded in Manchester and Birmingham respectively. They were also among the most visited cities by international tourists to the UK.

When surveyed in the fourth quarter of 2024, it was found that York was the most popular city in the United Kingdom among residents of the UK. In total, 76 percent of the UK public had a popular opinion of the city, which is famed for its historical architecture.

London was the most visited city destination in England for domestic holiday trips from 2017 to 2019. Overall, the city recorded a three-year average of roughly *** million holidays taken by GB residents. Scarborough and Manchester followed on the ranking with a three-year average of around *** million and *********** domestic vacations, respectively.

The British Museum was the most visited tourist attraction in London in 2024, welcoming roughly *** million visitors. The Natural History Museum in South Kensington and the Tate Modern followed in the ranking that year, with around *** million and *** million visits, respectively. Overall, while the combined attendance at the leading tourist attractions in London increased in 2024 over the previous year, the number of visits at most of the selected attractions remained below pre-pandemic levels. Museums in the UK The museum industry plays an important role in the United Kingdom’s cultural sector. In 2023, museums and galleries accounted for approximately ***** percent of the cultural sector's employment in the UK. Meanwhile, the number of museum enterprises in the United Kingdom experienced an annual increase in 2024, reaching nearly ***. London's contribution to tourism in the UK London is by far the most visited destination in the United Kingdom by international travelers, accounting for over **** of all international tourist arrivals in the UK in 2023. That year, the UK's capital also ranked as the leading city tourism destination in Europe based on the number of bed nights, ahead of Paris and Istanbul.

The British Museum was the most visited free tourist attraction in London in 2024, welcoming roughly 6.5 million visitors. That year, the National History Museum and the Tate Modern followed in the ranking, with around 5.9 million and 4.6 million visitors, respectively. Has tourism in London recovered from the impact of COVID-19? In 2023, the number of overseas visits to London exceeded 20 million. While inbound tourist visits experienced a sharp annual increase, they did not fully recover yet from the impact of COVID-19. That said, expenditure by international visitors in the UK’s capital had more than recovered in 2023, reaching an all-time high that year. London’s contribution to inbound tourism in the UK Both before and after the pandemic, London was by far the most visited city in the UK by international tourists. When looking at the contribution to inbound tourism of leading European travel destinations, the city’s prominent role in supporting inbound tourism in the UK stands out. In 2023, London alone accounted for over half of inbound tourist arrivals in the country.

London was by far the city with the highest international tourism spending in the United Kingdom in 2024. That year, inbound travel expenditure in the UK's capital amounted to ***** million British pounds. Meanwhile, ********* and ********** ranked second and third, respectively. These ranking positions were matched in the list of cities in the UK with the highest number of international visits.

In 2019, London was by far the most visited UK city for vacation trips. Overall, it recorded over ** million visits by holiday tourists. Edinburgh and Manchester followed on the list. Overall, London, Edinburgh, and Manchester also ranked as the most visited UK cities by international travelers

In 2024, London played a prominent role in supporting international tourism in the United Kingdom. That year, the UK's capital accounted for roughly ** percent of all inbound tourist arrivals in the country. Meanwhile, Paris and the Île-de-France region represented around ** percent of all international arrivals to France, whereas travelers to Barcelona made up almost ** percent of inbound tourist arrivals in Spain in 2024. What are the most visited European cities? When looking at the number of inbound tourist arrivals to leading travel destinations in Europe, Paris and Île-de-France, the region surrounding the French capital, recorded the highest figure in 2024, with nearly ** million arrivals. London and Istanbul, also among the leading city tourism destinations in Europe based on the number of bed nights, followed in the ranking that year, with around ** million and over ** million inbound tourist arrivals, respectively. What are the most visited European countries? Both before and after the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, France, Spain, and Italy were the most visited European countries by international travelers. Meanwhile, Spain consistently ranks as the European country with the highest number of inbound tourism receipts.

Spain was the most visited country by residents of the United Kingdom in 2024, with approximately ***** million visits. This figure was marginally lower than in 2019, prior to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Meanwhile, ************************* followed in the 2024 ranking; of these, only ****** reported a higher number of visits that year compared to pre-pandemic levels. Spain still a favorite among UK holidaymakers Spain has become a firm favorite among holiday travelers from Britain, as it continually lists as the most visited holiday destination abroad. Beach holidays are popular among Brits searching for warmer climates, and the relative ease and cheapness of package holidays to the Mediterranean make it possible. Outbound tourism from the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic As suggested by the figures recorded by the leading outbound travel destinations, the number of visits abroad from the United Kingdom continued to recover in 2024 and even passed pre-pandemic levels for the first time since travel restrictions were lifted. As the volume of visits bounced back, the outbound tourism expenditure in the UK also experienced a sharp annual increase in 2024, with spending having in fact already exceeded pre-pandemic levels in 2023.

The number of overseas tourist visits to London, United Kingdom continued to grow in 2024, following a sharp drop in 2021 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Despite this increase, inbound arrivals in the UK's capital remained below pre-pandemic levels, totaling ***** million in 2024. In the same year, inbound tourist visits to the UK totaled nearly ** million. London leading the way in Europe London’s contribution to inbound tourism in the United Kingdom is significant, with the UK’s capital accounting for around ** percent of international tourist arrivals in the country in 2024. This was more than other leading European destinations, such as Amsterdam, Paris, and Berlin. Those visiting the UK capital also made a significant contribution to the local economy, with expenditure of international visitors in London peaking in 2024, with inbound tourists spending over ** billion British pounds that year. However, this was not reflected in business travel spending in the city, which remained below the figure recorded in 2019. London’s visitor attractions As the largest city in the UK, London is home to some of the country's most iconic visitor attractions. These range from government-sponsored museums, such as the British Museum, to the Tower of London and the ZSL London Zoo. In 2024, the ************** was the most visited tourist attraction in London. Meanwhile, the Natural History Museum ranked second.

France was the most visited destination for business travelers from the United Kingdom in 2023, accounting for around ******* visits. In the second place was the United States, where UK business tourists paid approximately ******* visits in that year.

In 2023, London recorded the highest number of visits for business travel from overseas in the United Kingdom, with **** million visits. Meanwhile, Birmingham ranked second with *******.

The number of overseas visits to the United Kingdom rose significantly in 2022 over the previous year, after falling dramatically due to the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Despite the sharp annual increase, inbound visits remained below pre-pandemic levels. In England, the most visited country by inbound travelers in the UK, international visits totaled around **** million in 2022, remaining ** percent lower than in 2019. Meanwhile, London, Edinburgh, and Manchester topped the ranking of the cities in the UK with the highest number of inbound visits in 2022.

The Tower of London was the most popular paid attraction in London in 2024, welcoming roughly 2.9 million visitors. That year, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Gardens followed in the ranking, with around 2.3 million visitors. What are the most popular free tourist attractions in London? In 2024, the British Museum topped the ranking of the most visited free attractions in London, welcoming nearly six million visitors. The Natural History Museum and Tate Modern followed on the list that year. In 2024, eight of the 10 most visited tourist attractions in London did not charge for admission tickets. How many tourists visit London every year? London plays a key role in supporting the travel and tourism sector in the United Kingdom. Both before and after the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was by far the city with the highest inbound tourism spending in the UK. In 2023, the number of international tourist visits to London surpassed 20 million, nearly catching up with the overseas tourist visits recorded in 2019.

The Tower of London was the most popular paid attraction in London in 2023, welcoming roughly 2.8 million visitors. Attendance at the renowned site grew significantly compared to the previous year, nearly catching up with the figure from 2019. Meanwhile, the Royal Botanical Gardens (Kew Gardens) was the second most visited paid attraction in 2023, with just under two million visitors. What is the most popular free tourist attraction in London? In 2023, the British Museum topped the ranking of the most visited free attractions in London, welcoming nearly six million visitors. While attendance at the British Museum did not fully recover from the impact of COVID-19, the number of visitors to the Natural History Museum in South Kensington, which came in second in 2023, exceeded pre-pandemic levels. Overall, nine of the ten most visited tourist attractions in London that year did not charge for admission tickets. How many tourists visit London every year? London plays a key role in supporting the travel and tourism sector in the United Kingdom. Both before and after the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was by far the city with the highest inbound tourism spending in the UK. In 2023, the number of international tourist visits to London surpassed 20 million, nearly catching up with the overseas tourist visits recorded in 2019.

Madrid was the most visited city destination in Spain in 2023, having welcomed nearly ** million overnight visitors. The Catalonian capital followed second in the ranking that year, with roughly *** million tourists spending at least one night in the destination. How did Madrid rank in tourist visits and accommodation? In 2022, Madrid attracted over 4.5 million domestic and 4.6 million international tourists for stays exceeding one day, despite experiencing a more than 10 percent decrease compared to 2019 pre-pandemic levels. Furthermore, the Spanish capital has consistently ranked among the top ten European cities with the highest number of nights spent by tourists in paid accommodation, securing the 8th position that year. Which regions attracted the most international tourists? Spain's international tourism rebounded strongly from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, surpassing 100 million visitors in 2022. Catalonia led as the most visited region, attracting over **** million international tourists. The United Kingdom played a pivotal role as the primary source of international tourists, contributing over ** million travelers, followed by France with around ** million visitors.

When taking day trips within Great Britain, British tourists tended to visit cities or large towns more often than the countryside. Seaside destinations were most popular with day trippers in Wales, with ** percent visiting the coast for the day in 2019 compared to ** percent of respondents in England and Scotland respectively.

Cities and large towns were the most visited domestic overnight holiday destinations in Great Britain in 2022, with around **** million trips. Meanwhile, approximately **** million holiday trips were made to the countryside.