34+ UK Tourism Statistics, Facts, and Trends [2023]

Q: How many people visit the UK?

The UK saw 31.2M visitors in 2022, a 24% decrease from 2019.

Q: How many tourists visit London every year?

In 2022, London had 16.1M visits, a 26% drop from 2019.

Q: How big is the tourism industry in the UK?

The UK's tourism sector yields £100.8B annually.

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We’ve curated a treasure trove of the most recent statistics, facts, and trends for 2023.

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Table of Contents

Top UK Tourism Statistics (Editor’s Picks)

In 2022, London had 16.1M visits, a 26% drop from 2019.
The UK saw 31.2M visitors in 2022, a 24% decrease from 2019.
The UK’s tourism sector yields £100.8B annually.
The UK’s travel market is set to hit £30.69B in 2023, growing at 1.58% CAGR to £33.05B by 2027.

The UK travel market is projected to reach £33.05B by 2027 from £30.69B in 2023

In 2022, the UK’s tourism contributed about £237B to the GDP. By 2025, this is expected to exceed £257B, or 11% of the GDP.
The UK saw about 4.6M visits from the US in 2022, making it the top inbound market.

The Economic Footprint of the UK’s Travel and Tourism

In 2022, the UK’s tourism contributed about £237B to the GDP. By 2025, this is expected to exceed £257B, or 11% of the GDP.

UK Tourism’s Contribution to GDP: 2019–2022, Predictions for 2025 and 2033	In Billion GBP
2019	248.50
2022	237.10
2025	257.4
2033	314.3

Travel and tourism will support about 4.02M jobs in the UK by the end of 2023.

UK Travel and Tourism’s Employment Impact: 2019–2022, Predictions for 2023 and 2033	In Million Jobs
2019	4.28
2022	3.64
2023	4.02
2033	5.15

The UK’s “Hotels” segment is set to surpass £17.31B in revenue by 2027.

UK Tourism Market Earnings by Segment: 2017–2027 (in Billion GBP)	Hotels	Package Holidays	Vacation Rentals	Cruises	Camping
2017	14.35	8.01	3.43	1.81	0.63
2018	14.77	8.11	3.48	1.86	0.66
2019	15.21	8.20	3.54	1.91	0.69
2020	3.89	3.42	1.79	0.32	0.48
2021	5.09	5.19	2.38	0.96	0.55
2022	14.79	6.88	3.30	1.14	0.56
2023	16.57	8.33	3.65	1.55	0.69
2024	16.93	8.39	3.68	1.78	0.78
2025	17.21	8.42	3.71	1.94	0.87
2026	17.45	8.45	3.73	1.95	0.90
2027	17.65	8.48	3.74	1.95	0.94

The Travel Landscape: Inbound, Outbound, and Domestic Insights

On average, people in the UK travel 2–3 times a year for business or leisure.

UK Travel Frequency by Purpose as of March 2023 (in %)	For Leisure	For Business
Not at all	17	57
Once	16	10
2–3 times	34	16
4–5 times	13	8
6–10 times	6	4
More than 10 times	13	6

Nearly 71M trips originated from the UK in 2022.

UK Outbound Tourist Trips: 2007–2022	In Millions
2007	69.45
2008	69.01
2009	63.51
2010	64.65
2011	67.49
2012	66.86
2013	68.96
2014	72.20
2015	77.62
2016	81.76
2017	87.24
2018	90.57
2019	93.09
2020	23.83
2021	19.14
2022	70.95

In 2022, UK residents made about 51.3M visits to the EU.

The UK Visits to the EU: 2011–2022	In Millions
2011	47.42
2012	47.60
2013	49.35
2014	51.84
2015	55.92
2016	60.24
2017	64.08
2018	65.81
2019	66.96
2021	14.64
2022	51.30

In 2022, Britons visited Spain the most, totaling around 15.6M trips.

Top Destinations for UK Residents (2022)	In 1,000 Visits
Spain	15,623
France	7,433
Italy	3,991
Greece	3,688
Portugal	3,643
United States	3,410
Ireland	2,824
Turkey	2,563
Poland	2,392
Netherlands	1,931
Germany	1,919
India	1,317
Romania	1,224
United Arab Emirates	998
Belgium	952
Switzerland	816
Mexico	697
Morocco	650
Cyprus	605
Austria	585

In 2022, the UK received just over 31M overseas visits, with a projected increase to 37.5M in 2023.

Overseas Visits to the UK: 2002–2022, Predictions for 2023	In Millions
2002	24.18
2003	24.72
2004	27.76
2005	29.97
2006	32.71
2007	32.78
2008	31.89
2009	31.07
2010	30.40
2011	31.89
2012	32.22
2013	33.57
2014	35.34
2015	36.79
2016	39.13
2017	41.08
2018	40.28
2019	40.86
2020	11.10
2021	6.38
2022	31.20
2023	37.50

In 2022, overseas visitors spent nearly 263M nights in the UK, averaging 8.4 nights per trip.

UK Inbound Tourist Overnight Stays: 2004–2022	In Millions
2004	227.40
2005	249.20
2006	273.40
2007	251.50
2008	245.80
2009	241
2010	236.20
2011	247.60
2012	242.30
2013	256.30
2014	277.80
2015	283.90
2016	299.70
2017	312.70
2018	291.30
2019	289.60
2021	93.50
2022	262.90

In 2022, around 61% of the UK’s inbound trips came from EU countries.

Percentage Distribution of EU and Non-EU Visitors to the UK: 2011–2022	EU	Rest of World
2011	65.80	34.20
2012	66	34
2013	65.60	34.40
2014	65.90	34.10
2015	64.20	35.80
2016	63.80	36.20
2017	60	40
2018	60.30	39.70
2019	60.80	39.20
2021	69.10	30.90
2022	60.70	39.30

The UK saw about 4.6M visits from the US in 2022, making it the top inbound market.

Top Inbound Countries to the UK by Visits (2022)	In 1,000s
United States	4.587
France	2.830
Ireland	2.509
Germany	2.233
Spain	2.012
Netherlands	1.632
Poland	1.345
Italy	1.313
Canada	897
Switzerland	862
Australia	723
Belgium	679
Romania	634
Sweden	630
Denmark	566

Holidays were the top reason for inbound visits to the UK in 2022.

Reasons to Visit the UK (2022)	Numbers of Visitors in Millions
Holiday	12.1
Visiting friends and relatives	11.8
Business	5.1
Miscellaneous	1.9
Study	0.35

The UK’s “Package Holidays” segment is projected to grow by 0.1M users (+0.75%) from 2023 to 2027, peaking at 13.51M in the seventh year.

UK Package Holiday Users: 2017–2027	In Millions
2017	12.99
2018	13.12
2019	13.26
2020	5.52
2021	8.35
2022	11.06
2023	13.37
2024	13.43
2025	13.47
2026	13.49
2027	13.51

The UK’s “Hotels” segment is projected to grow by 0.9M users (+2.61%) from 2023 to 2027, reaching a record 35.47M in the seventh year.

UK Hotel User Numbers: 2017–2027	In Millions
2017	32.63
2018	33.14
2019	33.62
2020	8.47
2021	10.91
2022	31.22
2023	34.54
2024	34.88
2025	35.12
2026	35.31
2027	35.47

The UK’s “Vacation Rentals” segment is set to grow by 0.2M users (+1.21%) from 2023 to 2027, peaking at 16.67M in the seventh year.

UK Vacation Rental Users: 2017–2027	In Millions
2017	16.59
2018	16.62
2019	16.65
2020	8.33
2021	10.93
2022	15.03
2023	16.52
2024	16.58
2025	16.62
2026	16.65
2027	16.67

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Cities, Attractions, Hotels, and Music Events

London topped the UK’s tourist destinations in 2022 with slightly above 16M international visitors.

Top UK Cities by International Visits (2022)	In 1,000 Visits
London	16,118
Edinburgh	1,796
Manchester	1,230
Birmingham	803
Liverpool	680
Glasgow	618
Bristol	455
Cambridge	440
Oxford	425
Brighton/Hove	339
Leeds	289
Bath	273
Newcastle-upon-Tyne	248
Cardiff	204
Southampton	194
York	193
Nottingham	189
Leicester	180
Luton	165
Inverness	165

In 2022, Windsor Great Park was the UK’s top attraction, with over 5.6M visitors.

Most Visited Attractions in the UK (2022)	Number of Visitors in Millions
The Crown Estate, Windsor Great Park	5.64
Natural History Museum (South Kensington)	4.65
The British Museum	4.10
Tate Modern	3.88
Southbank Centre	2.95
The National Gallery	2.73
V&A South Kensington	2.37
Somerset House	2.35
Science Museum	2.33
Tower of London	2.02

Premier Inn leads UK hotel brands with a 73% positive rating as of Q2 2023.

Leading Hotel Brands in the UK (as of Q2 2023)	Share of People Who Have a Positive Opinion of a Hotel Brand
Premier Inn	73%
Walt Disney Parks and Resorts	56%
Travelodge	56%
Holiday Inn	54%
Hilton	49%
Haven Holidays	43%
Savoy Hotel	42%
Marriott	40%
Ritz	39%
Ibis	38%

In 2022, around 14.4M tourists attended live music events in the UK.

Tourists at UK Live Music Events: 2016–2022	In Millions
2016	9.50
2017	10.90
2018	11.20
2019	12.60
2022	14.40

In 2022, London’s music events drew about 4.9M visitors, a third of the UK’s total, with 4.4M domestic and 500K international tourists.

UK Live Music Event Tourists: Domestic and International by Country and Region in 2022 (in 1,000s)	Domestic Tourists	International Tourists
London	4,400	500
North West	1,800	120
Scotland	1,400	110
South West	1,000	53
South East	895	65
West Midlands	890	50
Yorkshire and the Humber	810	50
East of England	540	30
Wales	480	30
East Midlands	480	30
North East	330	20
Northern Ireland	250	20

Top Airlines, Airports, and Passenger Trends

British Airways is the most popular airline in the UK, with a 60% positive rating as of Q1 2023.

Leading Air Carriers in the UK (as of Q1 2023)	In %
British Airways	60
Virgin Atlantic	52
Emirates	48
EasyJet	46
TUI Airways	46
Qantas	41
Jet2.com	40
Lufthansa	38
Ryanair	36
KLM	34
Qatar Airways	34
Etihad Airways	33

In 2022, EasyJet, the UK’s biggest airline by passengers, uplifted over 33M people.

Passengers Carried by UK Airlines (2022)	In Millions
EasyJet UK Ltd	33.12
British Airways Plc	30.71
Jet2.Com Ltd	15.53
TUI Airways Ltd	11.30
Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd	4.15
Wizz Air UK Ltd	3.67
BA CityFlyer Ltd	2.25
Ryanair UK Ltd	1.87
Loganair Ltd	1.29
Aurigny Air Services	0.52

British Airways tops the list of the UK’s most recognized airlines with a 94% brand awareness rate.

UK’s Top Airline Brands by Brand Awareness (2022)	In %
British Airways	94
easyJet	92
Ryanair	89
Emirates	87
Virgin Atlantic	86
Jet2	84
TUIfly	80
American Airlines	71
Flybe	67
Air France	66
Lufthansa	62
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines	59
Wizz Air	45
Norwegian	44
Eurowings	28
Pegasus Airlines	27

With close to 61.6M passengers, Heathrow was the busiest airport in the UK in 2022, outpacing the combined traffic of Gatwick and Stansted.

Passenger Count at Select UK Airports: 2007–2022 (in 1,000s)	Heathrow	Gatwick	Stansted	Manchester
2007	67,852	35,166	23,759	21,892
2008	66,907	34,162	22,340	21,063
2009	65,907	32,361	19,950	18,630
2010	65,745	31,342	18,562	17,663
2011	69,391	33,644	18,047	18,807
2012	69,983	34,219	17,465	19,654
2013	72,332	35,429	17,849	20,680
2014	73,371	38,094	19,958	21,950
2015	74,954	40,260	22,513	23,095
2016	75,672	43,114	24,318	25,599
2017	77,988	45,553	25,903	27,774
2018	80,100	46,081	27,995	28,256
2019	80,887	46,575	28,124	29,367
2020	22,110	10,172	7,537	7,029
2021	19,398	6,260	7,146	6,083
2022	61,597	32,831	23,290	23,340

UK Tourism: Spending Snapshots

International visitors spent roughly £26.5B in the UK in 2022, with an average of £848 each. This is set to grow to an estimated £30.9B in 2023, surpassing 2019 levels.

Expenditure of Overseas Visitors in the UK: 2004–2022, Predictions for 2023	In Billion GBP
2004	13.05
2005	14.25
2006	16
2007	15.96
2008	16.32
2009	17.59
2010	17.80
2011	18.97
2012	19.78
2013	22.24
2014	23.42
2015	23.84
2016	25.42
2017	28.40
2018	26.51
2019	28.45
2020	6.21
2021	5.65
2022	26.50
2023	30.90

In 2022, US tourists led UK inbound spending, contributing close to £6B.

Top Spending Inbound Travel Markets for the UK: 2022	In Million GBP
United States	5,962
France	1,575
Germany	1,392
Australia	1,118
Spain	1,055
Ireland	1,027
Canada	934
Netherlands	894
Italy	798
United Arab Emirates	793
India	764
Switzerland	647
Norway	418
Poland	415
Belgium	402

In 2022, Britons spent about £58.5B on overseas trips.

UK Outbound Tourism Expenditure: 2007–2022	In Million GBP
2007	35.01
2008	36.84
2009	34.46
2010	37.13
2011	37.92
2012	38.48
2013	41.37
2014	43.07
2015	46.48
2016	50.86
2017	54.43
2018	58.13
2019	62.33
2020	13.76
2021	15.55
2022	58.54

In 2022, domestic travelers contributed 84.7% of the UK’s total travel and tourism spending.

UK Travel and Tourism Expenditure Breakdown: 2019–2022, by Tourist Type (in %)	Domestic Spending	International Spending
2019	81	19
2022	84.70	15.30

In the UK, leisure travel accounted for 70.8% of all tourism spending.

Breakdown of Travel and Tourism Spending in the UK by Type: 2019–2022	Leisure Spending	Business Spending
2019	68.60	31.40
2022	70.80	29.20

In 2022, music tourism in the UK generated about £6.6B.

Music Tourism Expenditure in the UK: 2016–2022	In Billion GBP
2016	3.40
2017	4
2018	4.50
2019	4.70
2022	6.60

Stacking It All Up

There you have it.

A comprehensive list of UK tourism, facts, and trends.

If you believe your audience will be interested in any of the information we’ve provided, feel free to share it. Just remember to link back to this page as a credit to our work.

FAQ

How many people visit the UK?

The UK saw 31.2M visitors in 2022, a 24% decrease from 2019.

Who visits the UK the most?

The UK saw about 4.6M visits from the US in 2022, making it the top inbound market.

How many tourists visit London every year?

In 2022, London had 16.1M visits, a 26% drop from 2019.

How big is the tourism industry in the UK?

The UK’s tourism sector yields £100.8B annually.

How much money does the UK make from tourism?

In 2022, the UK’s tourism contributed about £237B to the GDP. By 2025, this is expected to exceed £257B, or 11% of the GDP.

Sources

ALVA, “Visits Made in 2022 to Attractions in the UK”
Civil Aviation Authority, “Annual Airport Data”
Office for National Statistics (ONS), “Travel Trends: 2022”
Savills, “Spotlight: Rural Tourism and Leisure”
Statista, “Consumer Insights”
Statista, “Top Inbound Travel Markets in the UK by Visits”
Statista, “Travel & Tourism – United Kingdom”
Statista, “Travel and Tourism in the United Kingdom – Statistics & Facts”
UK Music, “Here, There and Everywhere 2023”
VisitBritain, “2022 Inbound Data”
VisitBritain, “2023 Tourism Forecast”
VisitBritain, “Britain’s Visitor Economy Facts”
VisitBritain, “Q1 2023 Inbound Data”
World Travel & Tourism Council, “United Kingdom 2023 Annual Research: Key Highlights”
YouGov, “The Most Popular Hotel Brands in the UK”
YouGov, “The Most Popular Airlines in the UK”

Max Woolf

As a Digital PR specialist and a member of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), Max has 5+ years of writing experience.
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