In 2023, there were 74.5 million domestic tourism day visits to the seaside in Great Britain. This denoted a decrease of around seven percent from the previous year.

This statistic displays the distribution of domestic tourists to seaside destinations in England in 2015, by the month visited. The summer months of July and August saw the highest rate of visits to coastal regions, amounting to 16 percent and 20 percent of all visits that year respectively.

The international market of beach tourism is likely to be the largest driver to the expansion of the tourism sector, owing to the empowerment of tourism infrastructure and the popularity of coastal travel among tourists. The market is projected to be worth USD 171.3 Billion in 2025 and USD 284.3 Billion in 2035, growing at a 5.2% CAGR over the forecast period. Factors such as increasing disposable incomes, better beach destination accessibility, and a tilt toward experiential travel have led to this growth.

Metric	Value
Market Size in 2025	USD 171.3 Billion
Projected Market Size in 2035	USD 284.3 Billion
CAGR (2025 to 2032)	5.2%

Country	CAGR (2025 to 2035)
USA	5.6%

Country	CAGR (2025 to 2035)
UK	4.8%

Country	CAGR (2025 to 2035)
European Union (EU)	5.1%

Country	CAGR (2025 to 2035)
Japan	5.0%

Country	CAGR (2025 to 2035)
South Korea	5.4%

Company Name	Estimated Market Share (%)
Marriott International	10-14%
Hilton Hotels & Resorts	8-12%
Carnival Corporation	6-10%
Hyatt Hotels Corporation	4-8%
Club Med	3-7%
Other Companies (combined)	50-60%

In 2023, approximately 14 million international tourists visited the Canary Islands in Spain, which represents an increase of roughly 13 percent versus the previous year. In 2010s, the record number of visitors in this Spanish archipelago was set in 2017.

Eight islands with lots of options for tourists

The Canary Islands, or the Canaries, are a group of islands off the Northwestern coast of Africa and one of Spain’s 17 autonomous communities. The archipelago is made up of eight inhabited islands: Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, La Palma, La Gomera, El Hierro and La Graciosa. Tenerife is most visited island, followed by Gran Canaria and Lanzarote, all popular vacation travel destinations, especially for European holidaymakers.

Main source markets

The Canaries are the third most visited Spanish region after the Balearic Islands and Catalonia. The UK and Germany are two key visitor markets for the islands. Along with France they make up the three leading international tourist markets visiting Spain. Spanish residents also commonly visit the islands for domestic trips (494520).

As with arrivals of international tourists, the visitor expenditure has increased significantly due to a rapid recovery from the coronavirus crisis. In 2022, foreign tourists who visited the Canary Islands spent more than they did in 2019.

Over 1.2 million visitors to Australia were residents of New Zealand in the year ended June 2024. Visitors from China were the second most prevalent visitor group at just below 800 thousand. These numbers represented an increase from the previous year, indicating a recovery from the slump caused by coronavirus pandemic travel restrictions worldwide in 2020 and 2021.
Why do people visit Australia? From the beautiful beaches on the Gold Coast to the city streets of Sydney, Australia is a popular destination among international and domestic tourists alike. In the 2024 financial year, the majority of visitors to Australia came for a vacation or to see their family or friends living in the country. Around three million visited for a holiday, and a little over 770 thousand traveled to the country for business purposes.
How much do international visitors spend when in Australia? Total trip expenditure of international visitors contributed about 47 billion Australian dollars to the country’s economy in 2024. This marked a rise in spending from the previous year, and exceeded pre-pandemic levels, in which international visitor spending came in at around 44.6 billion Australian dollars in 2019. In financial year 2024, those who visited the country for holiday purposes accounted for the highest trip expenditure of international visitor arrivals to Australia by purpose, at approximately 16.7 billion Australian dollars. The second-highest spenders were visitors who went to Australia for education; they spent over 12.6 billion Australian dollars that year.

This statistic presents the number of domestic tourism trips taken to national parks in Great Britain between 2016 and 2019. South Downs National Park The South Downs are a range of chalk hills within the south-eastern coastal counties of England from the Itchen Valley of Hampshire to Beachy Head in East Sussex.
Owing to their natural beauty, accessibility, and relative proximity to several populous area of Southern England the South Down National Park was the most popular national park in the Great Britain; receiving 2.31 million visitors in 2019. Lake District National Park The Lake District National Park, colloquially known as The Lakes, is a mountainous region within the county of Cumbria in the North West of England. As the largest national park within England, the Lake District exhibits diverse terrain and cultural heritage and contains a wide variety of flora and fauna. As a result of this depth of cultural and natural resources the Lake District is one of the most popular tourist destinations in England; consistently receiving over two million visitors annually.
As the greatest upland region in England, all of the land within England more than 914 m above sea level lies within the Lake district National Park, including the highest mountain in England; Scafell Pike. In addition to the superlative mountainous characteristics the Lake District contains both the deepest and largest natural bodies of water in England. These natural resources make the Lake District national park extremely popular amongst climbers and mountaineers; ramblers; photographers; and water sports enthusiasts and other outdoor enthusiasts.
Alongside these diverse natural resources there exists a wealth of cultural history including a deep literary history, with its associations with Beatrix Potter, John Ruskin, William Wordsworth and other ‘Lake Poets’. Snowdonia Snowdonia (Eryri) National Park, was established in 1951 as the first national park in Wales is the country’s most popular national park receiving over 1.1 million visitors in 2019.
The region is named, in English, in reference to Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa); the highest peak within the National Park which, at 1,085 meters above sea level, is the highest mountain within Wales, England and Northern Ireland.
As one of few regions of alpine topography in the United Kingdom (UK), Snowdonia is particularly popular amongst climbers and mountaineers. In addition to its mountainous terrain Snowdonia also contains over 200 miles of coastline, much of which exists on the Llyn Peninsular, a region designated as an ‘Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’ by Natural Resources Wales. There is a strong cultural affinity amongst the local population; many of whom are among the nations few remaining first language welsh speakers. Within Snowdonia the Welsh language (Cymraeg) is the day to day language and is spoken and understood by the majority of the population.
With English sovereignty over Wales imposed within Henry VIII’s Act of Union in 1536, the use of the Welsh language was largely banned and laws were passed which removed its official status. Following the act it was not possible for a monoglot Welshman to hold an official office in Wales; a condition that remains to this day.
From the 1847 ‘Treachery of the Blue Books’, a government report that condemned “the evil of the Welsh language” as a “barrier to the moral progress and commercial prosperity of the people”, to the nineteenth century ‘Welsh Not’, which physically punished schoolchildren for speaking their native tongue, the Welsh language has been systematically and consistently oppressed throughout welsh history.
This perceived oppression led to the development of a number of significant public campaigns which successfully prevented the extinction of the Welsh language and today the language plays a major part in national and local government, education, tourism, administration and culture. The main cultural festivals are the National Eisteddfod and the Urdd Youth Eisteddfod which celebrate the wealth of Welsh talent in music, poetry, drama, prose, art and science. Throughout Snowdonia National Park there are many galleries, theatres, museums, concert halls and libraries to host and support the hundreds of Welsh language cultural activities that take place in the region each year

Spain was the most visited country by residents of the United Kingdom in 2023, with approximately 17.81 million visits. This figure was marginally lower than in 2019, prior to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Meanwhile, France, Italy, and Greece followed in the ranking in 2023; of these, only Greece 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 in search of warmer climates, and the relative ease and cheapness of package holidays to the Mediterranean make it possible. Along with France and Germany, the UK is one of the key inbound travel markets for Spain. 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 rebounded in 2022 but had not yet caught up with pre-pandemic levels as of 2023, totaling around 86 million that year. As the volume of visits bounced back, the outbound tourism expenditure in the UK also experienced a sharp annual increase in 2022 and in fact exceeded pre-pandemic levels in 2023.

Urban Beach Visitor CountThis data set is sourced from Dundee City Council’s Public Space Camera Surveillance System. It shows a count of people using the Urban Beach on Marine Parade Walk (Camera 332). The data set shows a count of people within the Urban Beach area and Whale Enclosure areas every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday during the period 1pm-2pm.This data is experimental and subject to further refinement. Please note that due the nature of CCTV cameras at times data may not be collected as specified above. Therefore, caution should be exercised when analysing data and drawing conclusions for this data set.CCTV datasets contain information on object detections taken from a selection of the CCTV cameras throughout Dundee City. CCTV images are translated into object counts, objects counted include ‘person’, ‘car’, ‘bicycle’, ‘bus’, ‘motorcycle', 'truck, ‘pickup truck 'and ‘van’. The data is generated and owned by Dundee City Council. Copyright © Dundee City Council 2022. This dataset is available for use under the Open Government Licence.Background information about the Dundee CCTV cameras including a map showing the location of the cameras is available on the Dundee City Council website and can be accessed using the following link:https://www.dundeecity.gov.uk/service-area/city-development/sustainable-transport-and-roads/dundees-public-space-camera-surveillance-system

This spatial dataset show the location fo beaches in Wales that have been awarded with a Seaside Award. The Seaside Award is the nationwide standard for the best beaches across the UK. While Seaside Award beaches can be vastly different, the flag is a symbol of quality which ensures visitors are guaranteed to find a clean, attractive and well managed coastal stretch.

In August 2024, the number of international tourist arrivals in Italy, including visitors who stayed overnight and same-day travelers, grew by five percent compared to the previous year, totaling nearly 11 million. Despite the annual increase, this figure remained slightly below the volume of visitors reported in August 2019, before the impact of COVID-19. How much do inbound travelers spend in Italy? In 2023, Italy ranked fourth on the list of the countries with the highest number of international tourist arrivals worldwide, with almost 60 million arrivals. While the number of travelers did not catch up yet with pre-pandemic levels, the total international tourist expenditure in Italy exceeded the figure from 2019, amounting to over 50 billion euros in 2023. What are the leading inbound travel markets in Italy? Both before and after the impact of the pandemic, Germany represented the leading inbound travel market in Italy based on tourist arrivals, ranking ahead of France, Austria, and Switzerland in 2023. While Germany was also the country with the highest inbound tourist expenditure in Italy that year, the United States came in second in that case, followed by the United Kingdom and France.

Science at the Seaside is a collaboration between Ilfracombe Museum, Bath Spa University and the University of Exeter, which proposes a new and original understanding of the interlinked growth of popular science and coastal tourism during the Victorian period, with the different outputs producing original insights into the Victorian fascination with natural history.This item documents the exhibition, including Exhibition Guide* and photo documentation of the exhibition.This permanent exhibition with the theme of ‘Seaside Science’ and was launched in April 2014 at Ilfracombe Museum to showcase the creative, commercial and scientific engagement with the North Devon coast from the 1830s onwards. The project as a whole seeks to engage local communities with a neglected aspect of their heritage; namely, the growth of seaside science and environmental tourism in North Devon during the Victorian and Edwardian periods. The North Devon coast attracted many literary and scientific visitors, local and distinguished, professional and amateur; these included well-known figures such as George Eliot, George Henry Lewes, George Tugwell and Philip Gosse, who explored, collected and displayed scientific specimens, as well as published accounts of their visits. There is a rich history of writing about the North Devon coast, which deserves to be better known as it played an important national role in the growth of Victorian popular science.Images courtesy of the Ilfracombe Museum. Used with permission. Contributors to the exhibition guide are as follows:Kyriaki HadjiafxendiSara HodsonAnita NathwaniJohn Plunkett*Please note that the Exhibition Guide document is drawn from the original publication file, and therefore the pages with appear nonconsecutive.

Location of Council owned or maintained sports and leisure facilities within Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council area. For further information visit: https://www.causewaycoastandglens.gov.uk/see-do

An annual study conducted among Britons looked at the share of consumers taking a holiday to a beach destination in the previous 12 months. According to the 2022 survey, focusing on the trips made between September 2021 and August 2022, 34 percent of respondents said to have taken a beach vacation. This figure declined by seven percentage points compared to the 2019 survey. Despite the drop, beach holidays were the most popular type of vacation in the UK as of 2022.

This statistic displays the types of destinations tourists from four leading travel markets would visit when on holiday in England according to a survey conducted in 2017. London was the most popular destination for all the markets, although 71 percent of German tourists would be interesting in visiting coastal or beach locations when on holiday in England.

Croatia is one of Europe’s most popular tourist destinations when it comes to beach vacations, attracting nearly 50 million visitors in 2023. Most of them traveled from Germany, with approximately 3.2 million visitors arriving from the country. Austria and Slovenia were two other key tourist markets for Croatia, although figures were significantly lower, at 1.5 million arrivals in 2023, respectively. Tourism’s contribution to GDP The contribution of Croatia’s tourism sector to the country’s economic success is undeniable. In 2023, the sector’s share in Croatia’s gross domestic product was measured at nearly 19 percent, which was still below pre-pandemic levels. However, this figure is forecast to increase over the following years and reach over 26 percent by 2028. Most popular tourist towns Croatia’s capital, Zagreb, recorded the highest number of overnight visitors in 2022, at almost 1.1 million arrivals, marking a significant increase compared to the preceding year. Rovinj, a fishing port in west Croatia, was the second-most visited town in 2022, attracting over one million tourists. Dubrovnik, also known for its role as a main filming spot for King’s Landing in Game of Thrones, came third in the ranking with 786,000 visitors.

Linear dataset showing the extent of National Trails. For more information visit the National Trails website. National Trails are long distance walking, cycling and horse riding routes through the best landscapes in England and Wales. There are 15 National Trails. Walkers can enjoy them all, cyclists and horse riders can enjoy the Pennine Bridleway and the South Downs Way, as well as sections of the other Trails. In total, England and Wales have around 2,500 miles (4,000 Km) of National Trail. The England Coast Path will be the newest (and longest) National Trail when it is complete in 2020. Full metadata can be viewed on data.gov.uk.

This statistic displays the types of location internationals tourists have visited when on vacation in England in the last five years as of 2017. According to the survey, 49 percent had visited London only, whereas 12 percent had visited London along with a coastal or beach destination.

This statistic shows the most popular overnight seaside destinations in Great Britain from 2010 to 2012, ranked by number of trips taken on average annually. Blackpool was among the most visited, with an average of over 1.5 million overnight trips made to the seaside resort for vacations annually.

Legoland Windsor ranked as the most visited amusement park in the United Kingdom (UK), recording an attendance of 2.42 million in 2023. This was followed by Alton Towers and Thorpe Park, which had 2.35 and 1.62 million visitors, respectively. Theme parks and attractions in the UK Amusement and theme parks are a popular type of leisure entertainment worldwide. The ranking shown here only includes the major three theme parks in the UK, which also feature among the leading amusement parks in Europe based on attendance. There are numerous other amusement parks in the UK, including Pleasure Beach Blackpool and Chessington World of Adventures, which also rank among the nation’s leading theme parks by value. Merlin Entertainments – a leading player in the attraction industry Many of the UK’s top attractions are owned by Merlin Entertainments, a global leader in the amusement and theme park industry. They own several family entertainment brands including Legoland, Sealife Centre and Madame Tussauds. A reported 62.1 million people visited Merlin Entertainment’s attractions worldwide in 2023.

From 2015 to 2018, the number of people who spent general leisure time at the beach in the United Kingdom (UK) has increased. Whereas in 2015, the number of peope spending leisure time at the beach was approximately 6.4 million, in 2018 it reached approximately 10 million. In 2018, approximately 31.8 percent of people in the UK participated in any watersport activitiy. More information about water sports in the UK can be found in the report Water sports in the United Kingdom (UK).