21+ Revealing UK Tourism Statistics to Know in 2023
Before the pandemic, the UK was the fifth most visited country in Europe, with almost 40 million visitors in 2019. Just the city of London had more than 20 million visitors, contributing significantly to the entire country’s economy.
To illustrate just how important tourism is for the UK, and how much the industry has changed since, we’ve gathered the latest and most reliable UK tourism statistics. So read on for info about the tourism industry, where UK citizens like to travel and much more!
Top 10 UK Tourism Statistics for 2023
In 2022, there were about 30 million international visits to the UK.
Projections put the number of visitors to the UK in 2023 at 35.1 million.
In 2022, UK tourism’s GDP contribution was £214 billion.
Between 2022 and 2032, tourism’s GDP contribution should grow 3% annually.
45% of Britons traveled outside the UK between September 2021 and August 2022.
The average Briton took 3.6 holidays in 2022.
UK tourists spent around £45 billion abroad in the first three quarters of 2022.
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.
General UK Tourism Statistics
Projections put the number of visitors to the UK in 2023 at 35.1 million.
While international tourist visits haven’t bounced back to 2019 levels, Visit Britain estimates that they could come to about 86% of the pre-pandemic level in 2023. Compared to the number of visitors in 2022, the 35.1 million figure is about 18% higher, while the total tourist spend is expected to hit £29.5 billion.
(Visit Britain)
In 2022, there were about 30 million international visits to the UK.
Stats on tourism in the UK show the industry recovered somewhat compared to 2020 and 2021, when there were 11.1 million and 6.38 million visits, respectively. The measures of lockdown and travel restrictions affected the numbers for these two years, and while 2022 stats were affected by Omicron, the effect wasn’t nearly as pronounced.
(Statista)
In 2022, UK tourism’s GDP contribution was £214 billion.
UK tourism’s contribution to the economy equaled about 8.9% in 2022, or £214 billion in UK tourism revenue. Compared to £131.5 billion in the previous year, this represents a 62.7% increase in contribution of travel, tourism, and related industries.
(WTTC)
Between 2022 and 2032, the travel and tourism GDP contribution should grow 3% annually.
The travel industry in the UK is expected to grow twice as quickly as the rest of the economy in the given period, estimated at 1.7%. Tourism statistics for the UK estimate the industry’s contribution to GDP will exceed 10.1% of GDP or £286 billion in 2032.
(WTTC)
In 2022, the estimated size of the UK medical tourism market was $6 billion.
UK health tourism facts show the UK market accounts for anywhere between 3% and 7% of the global medical tourism market. The UK's private healthcare is one of the best in the world, and it’s expected to keep attracting medical tourists and growing at 14.6% annually until 2032, when it’s projected to reach $23.44 billion.
(Future Market Insights)
45% of Britons traveled outside the UK between September 2021 and August 2022.
Travel statistics demonstrate a rise in the percentage of Britons who went on vacation in the previous year. During the first year of the pandemic, only 16% of Britons could say they’d been on holiday abroad. On the other hand, the increase in domestic vacations wasn’t as pronounced. In 2021, 60% of Britons went on holiday in the UK, while the percentage rose to 65% in 2022.
(Statista)
The average Briton took 3.6 holidays in 2022.
Between September 2021 and August 2022, the average UK citizen went on 3.6 holidays, which is an increase compared to the previous survey conducted between late 2020 and mid 2021, when the number was at 3.1 holidays per person. Luckily for the UK travel industry, the numbers are gradually improving.
(Statista)
Personal finances are the main barrier for taking overseas trips, named by 25% of Britons.
Trends in tourism show the increasing costs of overseas tourism stop 19% of Britons from enjoying a trip overseas. Personal finances prevent 25% of Britons from going on a trip abroad, joined with quarantine risks (17%), travel restrictions (16%), covid tests (16%), the amount of paperwork (16%), and concerns about health (14%) or catching covid (13%).
(Statista)
UK tourists spent around £15.5 billion abroad in 2021.
Tourist statistics indicate the total UK expenditure on international tourism dropped dramatically with the onset of the pandemic. In 2019, UK tourists spent a remarkable £62 billion abroad, only for the figure to plummet to £13 billion in 2020 and improve slightly in 2021, when UK tourists spent around £15.5 billion abroad.
(ONS)
Statistics About Tourism Inside the UK
74% of Britons between 25 and 34 went on at least one UK holiday in the last year.
Tourist demographics point out that the 25-34 age group went on more domestic holidays than any other. In fact, 42% of the group went on more than two UK holidays in the trailing 12 months. Tourists between 55 and 64 went on least domestic holidays, with 52% taking at least one.
(Statista)
For 45% of Britons, the main obstacle to taking an overnight domestic trip is the rising cost of living.
With increasing living costs in the UK (and in other countries), even domestic holidays are becoming a luxury for 45% of UK respondents. Tourism stats confirm the main issue is money: the second most-named obstacle is personal finances with 31%, followed by the increase in holiday prices with 30%, and not unexpectedly, the cost of fuel, named by 28% of respondents.
(Statista)
Leisure accounted for 70% of travel spending in the UK.
UK tourism numbers show most travel spending in the UK was for leisure. The data show 30% of the spending was for business purposes. In this aspect, not much has changed compared to 2019, when the numbers showed a 68% to 32% ratio.
(Statista)
With 17% choosing the North West, it’s the top region for winter holidays inside the UK.
According to UK tourism statistics, 17% of Britons chose the North West as the region they would take a winter staycation, with Scotland being the next most popular region at 15%. 14% would stay in Yorkshire & the Humber, and 13% would pick London. The South West and the South East were chosen by 11% of respondents, with East Midlands, the North East, and the East of England getting the attention of 7%.
(Statista)
The most visited attraction in the UK is Windsor Great Park.
One of the must-know tourism facts is that Windsor Great Park is the most visited site in the UK, with 5.4 million visitors in 2021. Other tourist attractions on the most-visited list, that are outside of London, include the Chester Zoo with 1,601,327 visitors in 2021, the RHS Garden Wisley with 1,410,785, and Jeskyns Community Woodland with 878,626 visitors.
(ALVA)
Manchester is the most visited city after London.
Tourism trends show that with 306,000 visits in 2021, Manchester was the most visited city after London. It was followed by Birmingham at 205,000, Edinburgh at 199,000, Liverpool at 139,000, Glasgow at 116,000, and Bristol at 106,000. Cardiff, considered one of the best cities in Europe to move to, saw 37,000 visitors in 2021.
(ONS)
UK tourists spent around £45 billion abroad in the first three quarters of 2022.
The first tourist stats for 2022 show significant recovery in spending abroad. The stats put the expenditure at £7.4 billion in Q1, £15.4 billion in Q2, and £22.1 billion in Q3. That’s around £45 billion in the first three quarters in total.
(ONS)
The country most visited by UK residents is Spain.
In 2021, 4.3 million visitors from the UK enjoyed their holidays in Spain, more than twice the number in the second-most-popular country, France, visited by 1.5 million Britons. Trends in travel and tourism reveal that 1.16 million visited Portugal in the same year, with the next country on the list being Greece, visited by 1.14 million UK residents.
(ONS)
London Tourism Statistics
The Kew Royal Botanic Gardens was the most visited site in London in 2021.
With 1,963,171 visitors, the Kew Gardens was the most popular destination in London in 2021. The next most popular site was the Natural History Museum with 1,571,413 people enjoying the exhibitions, followed by the British Museum with 1,327,120.
(ALVA)
London tourist numbers dropped to 2.72 million in 2021.
The pandemic and the lockdown in 2021 affected the capital’s tourism sector dramatically. For comparison, in 2019, there were 21 million overseas tourists arriving in London, and many more from the UK as well.
(Statista)
There were 15.6 million international visitors in London in 2022.
Combining data from several sources, including the Office for National Statistics, GLA Economics estimated that 15.6 million international tourists visited the capital in 2022. When looking at the 2021 statistics about London’s tourism industry, we can clearly see the effect of the lockdown on the sector.
(GLA Economics)
Tourists spent around £14.2 billion in London in 2022.
Also, numbers show that tourism accounts for 12% of London’s GDP and creates one in seven jobs in the city. While this percentage is from before the pandemic, as tourism in London slowly returns to its former glory, it’s still useful to understand the importance of the tourism industry in the UK. The latest data shows tourists (and mostly international) spent around £14.2 billion in London in 2022.
(London.gov.uk, GLA Economics)
Tourism Statistics: The Takeaway
While the UK is still at the top of most travelers’ bucket lists, getting the UK’s travel and tourism industry back on its feet will take some time. Having been the fifth most visited country in Europe before the pandemic, with almost 40 million visitors in 2019, the UK is now at 30 million visitors as of 2022, with the number hopefully rising to 35.1 million in 2023. With 8.9% of the GDP, tourism is crucial to the country’s economy, especially in London where it provides one in seven jobs. In short, British tourism seems to be recovering.
UK Tourism FAQ
What percentage of the UK economy is tourism?
How many tourists visit the UK each year?
How many tourists visit London each year?
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