Annual estimates of visits and spending for UK residents abroad and for overseas residents visiting the UK.

Annual estimates of overseas residents’ visits and spending. Also includes data on nights, purpose, region of UK visited and mode of travel. Breakdowns by nationality and area of residence are covered. In 2019, new methods were introduced for this dataset. The 2009 to 2019 edition supersedes all previous time series editions of this dataset. We advise against using all editions listed before the 2019 edition.

United Kingdom UK: International Tourism: Number of Arrivals data was reported at 35,814,000.000 Person in 2016. This records an increase from the previous number of 34,436,000.000 Person for 2015. United Kingdom UK: International Tourism: Number of Arrivals data is updated yearly, averaging 28,119,000.000 Person from Dec 1995 (Median) to 2016, with 22 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 35,814,000.000 Person in 2016 and a record low of 20,982,000.000 Person in 2001. United Kingdom UK: International Tourism: Number of Arrivals data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United Kingdom – Table UK.World Bank.WDI: Tourism Statistics. International inbound tourists (overnight visitors) are the number of tourists who travel to a country other than that in which they have their usual residence, but outside their usual environment, for a period not exceeding 12 months and whose main purpose in visiting is other than an activity remunerated from within the country visited. When data on number of tourists are not available, the number of visitors, which includes tourists, same-day visitors, cruise passengers, and crew members, is shown instead. Sources and collection methods for arrivals differ across countries. In some cases data are from border statistics (police, immigration, and the like) and supplemented by border surveys. In other cases data are from tourism accommodation establishments. For some countries number of arrivals is limited to arrivals by air and for others to arrivals staying in hotels. Some countries include arrivals of nationals residing abroad while others do not. Caution should thus be used in comparing arrivals across countries. The data on inbound tourists refer to the number of arrivals, not to the number of people traveling. Thus a person who makes several trips to a country during a given period is counted each time as a new arrival.; ; World Tourism Organization, Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files.; Gap-filled total;

Monthly estimates of overseas residents’ visits and spending and visits and spending abroad by UK or Great Britain residents. Also includes data on purpose of visit, area visited by UK residents and area of residence for overseas residents.

Historical dataset showing U.K. tourist spending by year from 1995 to 1998.

In 2024, the United States was the leading inbound travel market for the United Kingdom based on the number of visits. That year, the UK reported approximately 5.59 million inbound trips from the U.S., surpassing the figures recorded in the previous five years. In total, the number of inbound visits in the UK reach nearly 40 million in 2024.

United Kingdom UK: International Tourism: Expenditures: for Travel Items data was reported at 64.774 USD bn in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 66.813 USD bn for 2015. United Kingdom UK: International Tourism: Expenditures: for Travel Items data is updated yearly, averaging 55.972 USD bn from Dec 1995 (Median) to 2016, with 22 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 76.584 USD bn in 2007 and a record low of 24.926 USD bn in 1995. United Kingdom UK: International Tourism: Expenditures: for Travel Items data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United Kingdom – Table UK.World Bank.WDI: Tourism Statistics. International tourism expenditures are expenditures of international outbound visitors in other countries. The goods and services are purchased by, or on behalf of, the traveler or provided, without a quid pro quo, for the traveler to use or give away. These may include expenditures by residents traveling abroad as same-day visitors, except in cases where these are so important as to justify a separate classification. Excluded is the international carriage of travelers, which is covered in passenger travel items. Data are in current U.S. dollars.; ; World Tourism Organization, Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files.; Gap-filled total;

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.

Travel was brought to a standstill by COVID-19, threatening the UK economy. With restrictions now lifted, let's review some emerging trends in the UK tourism industry.

The Outbound Travel Industry Analysis in the United Kingdom is estimated to be valued at USD 98.2 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach USD 224.2 billion by 2035, registering a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.6% over the forecast period.

United Kingdom UK: International Tourism: Receipts data was reported at 55.558 USD bn in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 60.807 USD bn for 2015. United Kingdom UK: International Tourism: Receipts data is updated yearly, averaging 40.038 USD bn from Dec 1995 (Median) to 2016, with 22 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 62.604 USD bn in 2014 and a record low of 26.137 USD bn in 2001. United Kingdom UK: International Tourism: Receipts data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United Kingdom – Table UK.World Bank.WDI: Tourism Statistics. International tourism receipts are expenditures by international inbound visitors, including payments to national carriers for international transport. These receipts include any other prepayment made for goods or services received in the destination country. They also may include receipts from same-day visitors, except when these are important enough to justify separate classification. For some countries they do not include receipts for passenger transport items. Data are in current U.S. dollars.; ; World Tourism Organization, Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files.; Gap-filled total;

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.

United Kingdom UK: International Tourism: Receipts: for Travel Items data was reported at 41.458 USD bn in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 45.595 USD bn for 2015. United Kingdom UK: International Tourism: Receipts: for Travel Items data is updated yearly, averaging 32.220 USD bn from Dec 1995 (Median) to 2016, with 22 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 50.068 USD bn in 2014 and a record low of 18.864 USD bn in 2001. United Kingdom UK: International Tourism: Receipts: for Travel Items data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United Kingdom – Table UK.World Bank.WDI: Tourism Statistics. International tourism receipts for travel items are expenditures by international inbound visitors in the reporting economy. The goods and services are purchased by, or on behalf of, the traveler or provided, without a quid pro quo, for the traveler to use or give away. These receipts should include any other prepayment made for goods or services received in the destination country. They also may include receipts from same-day visitors, except in cases where these are so important as to justify a separate classification. Excluded is the international carriage of travelers, which is covered in passenger travel items. Data are in current U.S. dollars.; ; World Tourism Organization, Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files.; Gap-filled total;

Presents the main annual results from the International Passenger Survey (IPS), which collects information from passengers as they enter or leave the UK by the principal air, sea and tunnel routes. Source agency: Office for National Statistics Designation: National Statistics Language: English Alternative title: A report on the International Passenger Survey

The UK special interest tourism market is poised for robust growth, projected to increase from USD 367.3 Million in 2025 to USD 918.2 Million by 2035. The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.6% during this period.

Quarterly estimates of overseas residents’ visits and spending. Also includes data on nights, purpose, region of UK visited and mode of travel. Breakdowns by nationality and area of residence are covered. This dataset is published quarterly. The versions published for Quarters 1 (Jan to Mar), 2 (Apr to June) and 3 (July to Sept) are on a separate webpage under the name "Estimates of overseas residents' visits and spending".

United Kingdom UK: International Tourism: Expenditures data was reported at 79.371 USD bn in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 82.824 USD bn for 2015. United Kingdom UK: International Tourism: Expenditures data is updated yearly, averaging 67.664 USD bn from Dec 1995 (Median) to 2016, with 22 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 90.243 USD bn in 2007 and a record low of 30.749 USD bn in 1995. United Kingdom UK: International Tourism: Expenditures data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United Kingdom – Table UK.World Bank.WDI: Tourism Statistics. International tourism expenditures are expenditures of international outbound visitors in other countries, including payments to foreign carriers for international transport. These expenditures may include those by residents traveling abroad as same-day visitors, except in cases where these are important enough to justify separate classification. For some countries they do not include expenditures for passenger transport items. Data are in current U.S. dollars.; ; World Tourism Organization, Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files.; Gap-filled total;

United Kingdom UK: International Tourism: Expenditures: % of Total Imports data was reported at 9.869 % in 2016. This records an increase from the previous number of 9.864 % for 2015. United Kingdom UK: International Tourism: Expenditures: % of Total Imports data is updated yearly, averaging 10.024 % from Dec 1995 (Median) to 2016, with 22 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 11.078 % in 2003 and a record low of 8.279 % in 2011. United Kingdom UK: International Tourism: Expenditures: % of Total Imports data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United Kingdom – Table UK.World Bank.WDI: Tourism Statistics. International tourism expenditures are expenditures of international outbound visitors in other countries, including payments to foreign carriers for international transport. These expenditures may include those by residents traveling abroad as same-day visitors, except in cases where these are important enough to justify separate classification. For some countries they do not include expenditures for passenger transport items. Their share in imports is calculated as a ratio to imports of goods and services, which comprise all transactions between residents of a country and the rest of the world involving a change of ownership from nonresidents to residents of general merchandise, goods sent for processing and repairs, nonmonetary gold, and services.; ; World Tourism Organization, Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files, and IMF and World Bank imports estimates.; Weighted average;