Updated: June 2026
Steeped in history, culture, and natural beauty, the United Kingdom (UK) offers a diverse range of experiences for travelers. However, travelers also contribute a lot to the UK.
According to the latest UK travel and tourism statistics, the sector contributes £147 billion annually to the UK economy, accounting for around 5% of GDP, and supports 2.4 million jobs nationwide.
In this guide, we explore the top tourism statistics, shedding light on the international tourism industry, domestic travel trends, and much more.
Reviving inbound tourism: The UK's journey to recovery
Overseas residents made an estimated 42.6 million visits to the UK in 2024 and spent an estimated £32.5 billion. (Office for National Statistics)
VisitBritain estimates 43.6 million inbound visits in 2025, with those visitors spending £33.4 billion. (VisitBritain)
2024 was the first year since the Covid-19 pandemic that inbound visitor numbers exceeded 2019 levels. (House of Commons Library)
The greatest number of visits to Great Britain in 2024 were made by residents of the United States (5.6 million visits), followed by France (3.6 million) and Germany (3.3 million). (Office for National Statistics)
Following closely were European tourist visits from France, Germany, and the Republic of Ireland. (ONS)
Spending by Americans is forecast to reach a record £6.7 billion in 2025, meaning almost £1 in every £5 of inbound visitor spending in the UK is by US visitors. (VisitBritain)
London remained the most visited city in the UK in 2024, attracting roughly 21 million international visits — more than half of all international visits to the UK — and generating £17 billion in spending. (London Datastore)
Edinburgh and Manchester welcomed a considerable number of tourists in 2022 — 2.3 million and 1.7 million respectively — making them the second and third most popular destinations. (ONS)
The British Museum, Natural History Museum, and Tate Modern topped the list of the most popular free attractions in England in 2024, attracting 6.5 million, 5.9 million, and 4.6 million visitors respectively. (VisitEngland)
The Tower of London was the most visited paid attraction in England in 2024 with 2.9 million visitors, followed by Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew with 2.3 million and Chester Zoo with 1.9 million. (VisitEngland)
The British Museum was the most visited tourist attraction across the UK in 2024, attracting just under 6.5 million visitors — an increase of 11% on 2023. (ALVA)
From September 2023 to September 2024, there were more than 130 million passenger arrivals to the UK, with 45% of those being international tourists. (UK Gov)
A surge in travel staycations: UK domestic tourism statistics
In 2024, British residents made 105.6 million overnight trips within Great Britain, spending £32.9 billion — up 5% on 2023 despite fewer trips being taken. (VisitBritain)
In 2024, domestic travelers in the UK spent £32.9 billion on domestic overnight tourism around Great Britain. (VisitBritain)
In 2024, outbound international trips by Brits amounted to 94.6 million. (ONS)
The average duration of domestic overnight trips for British residents in 2024 was 2.9 nights, unchanged from 2023. (VisitBritain)
The Southwest of the UK is Brit's top destination for overnight domestic trips, accounting for 16% of all overnight domestic trips. (Allied Passport)
The average spend per domestic overnight trip in 2024 was £312 per person, a 17% increase on 2023. (VisitBritain)
Adventure tourism statistics: Visitors to the UK have caught the adventure bug
The UNWTO reports that the UK boasts Europe's largest adventure tourism market, accounting for 19% of the world's adventure travel tourists. (UNWTO)
The UK adventure tourism market is expected to reach a projected revenue of $93.76 billion by 2030. (Grand View Research)
The UK market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 16.4% from 2025 to 2030. (Grand View Research)
40% of British tourists surveyed said they prefer sports and active holidays. (ITA)
By 2029, it is projected that there will be 6.5 million Brits taking camping trips in the UK. (Statista)
Healthcare tourism statistics beyond borders: Medical tourism in the UK is on the rise
The UK medical tourism market reached $8.9 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach $27.1 billion by 2033. (IMARC)
The global medical tourism market is projected to be worth $76.1 billion in 2025, growing to $174.1 billion by 2035. (Global Market Insights)
In 2020, the UK ranked fifth in the global destination environment ranking for medical tourism. (Statista)
In 2021, a total of 34,000 inbound visits to the UK were for medical treatment. (Statista)
Of the 34,000 medical tourists in 2021, 62% were from countries in the EU-15, and less than 3% were from North America. (Statista)
Convenience, enhanced infrastructure, and enhanced standards are the top reasons why medical tourists choose the UK for treatment. (FMI)
Dental care, cosmetic surgery, fertility treatments, organ and tissue transplantation, and cancer treatment top the list of popular procedures for medical tourism trips. (MarketUS)
Sports tourism statistics: Football rules UK sports tourism
In 2024, total attendance at professional sporting events throughout the UK hit 77.7 million — a rise of 27% over the past decade. (Two Circles)
Football remains the leading sport, with over 55 million fans watching a professional match in the UK in 2024 for the second consecutive year. (Two Circles)
Football continues to contribute the majority of UK crowds, with the Premier League accounting for 14.8 million attendances in 2024 alone. (Two Circles)
Cricket is the second biggest sporting draw with 4.5 million attendees in 2023. (Two Circles)
Live football, cricket, rugby, and tennis are the most popular sports for visitors to the UK. (VisitBritain)
Football visitors also spend the most and stay the longest in the UK, compared to visitors for other sports. (VisitBritain)
Business tourism statistics: Meetings, incentive trips, and exhibitions fuel the business tourism boom in the UK
In 2024, there were 6.8 million visits to the UK for business reasons. (International Passenger Survey, ONS via VisitBritain)
Business visits contributed £5.9 billion in total spend in 2024, representing 18% of all inbound spend. (International Passenger Survey, ONS via VisitBritain)
Business travelers to England made up 17% of all inbound visitors in 2024. (International Passenger Survey, ONS via VisitBritain)
Unlike typical tourism flows, business visits to the UK don't show much seasonality, which means there's a steady number of visitors year-round.
In 2024, Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) accounted for 2.6 million inbound business visits to the UK, generating £2.8 billion in spend. (International Passenger Survey, ONS via VisitBritain)
Travelers to the UK for business events and conferences spend 38% more than the average inbound visitor. (VisitBritain)
In 2023, trade exhibitions and conferences made up 60% of the conference market in the UK. (VisitBritain)
The number of business conferences hosted in the UK in 2023 was up 164% from 2019 numbers. (VisitBritain)
An estimated 1.08 million conferences and meetings took place in the UK during 2024, welcoming 95.4 million delegates and generating an estimated £19.3 billion of direct expenditure. (UKCAMS)
In 2023, Business Events visitors spent a total of 6.9 million nights in the UK, representing 25% of all overnight stays for business travel. (VisitBritain)
In 2021, the UK was the sixth-largest source of business travel spending worldwide, totaling close to $18 billion. (Statista)
In 2024, UK residents made an estimated 94.6 million visits abroad, including business trips. (ONS)
Two-thirds of UK businesses planned to boost business travel spend by 50% or more in 2023. (American Express Global Business Travel)
The Travel and Tourism Development Index ranked the UK as the fifth-best country for non-leisure travel worldwide in 2021, and the first-best country in Europe. (World Economic Forum)
Business travelers flocked to London in 2023, with a remarkable 2.98 million visits from abroad, solidifying its position as the top business travel destination in the UK. (Statista)
Inbound business travel to London grew by over half a million visits in 2023 compared to 2022. (Statista)
The average cost of a business trip to London has risen by 15% since 2022.
As of 2023, London is the third most expensive business travel location in Europe. (ECA International)
As one of the most expensive cities in the world for business travel, a trip to London costs around £462 per day. (Statista)
Over half of business trips to the UK turn into bleisure trips. (Stratos)
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Rural tourism statistics: The charm of rural tourism and sustainable travel is on the rise
Rural tourism contributes about 70-80% of all UK domestic tourism in recent years. (CLA)
47% of Brits went camping or caravanning for holiday trips in the past three years. (Mintel)
One in five travelers prefer less popular tourist destinations in the UK when choosing a holiday or day trip destination. (Mintel)
The number of visits to the Cairngorms National Park during off-peak periods grew 18% in 2023 compared to pre-pandemic levels. (Cairngorms National Park Authority)
The majority of UK travelers (71%) and US travelers (69%) say that sustainable travel practices are important to them and strive to make more eco-conscious journeys. (Booking.com)
23% of UK travelers chose to travel to a destination closer to home in order to reduce their carbon footprint. (Booking.com)
In a bid to enhance rural tourism, Scotland allocated £3 million in 2022 to support 10 infrastructure projects, focusing on visitor facilities, access improvements, and promoting eco-friendly transport options. (Scottish Government)
Searches in the UK for "farm experiences" or "farm shop" holidays increased 36% and 54% respectively in 2023 compared to 2019. (Savills)
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Music tourism is hitting high notes in the UK
In 2024, a record 23.5 million music tourists attended concerts and festivals in the UK, spending a record £10 billion — a 26% increase on the £8 billion total in 2023. (UK Music, Hometown Glory 2025)
The UK is the leading destination in Europe for music tourism and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 22.4% through to 2033. (Grand View Research)
Music tourists supported 72,000 full-time equivalent jobs in the UK's live music sector in 2024, up 16% on 2023. (UK Music, Hometown Glory 2025)
In 2024, the UK's music scene drew a record 23.5 million domestic and international visitors, up 23% from 2023. (UK Music, Hometown Glory 2025)
Music tourism spending reached £10 billion in 2024, surpassing the previous high of £8 billion in 2023. (UK Music, Hometown Glory 2025)
London attracted 7.5 million music tourists in 2024, generating £2.7 billion in spending — the largest regional slice across the UK. (UK Music, Hometown Glory 2025)
The North West welcomed 3.3 million music tourists in 2024, generating £1.2 billion, thanks to the draw of acts and festivals across the region. (UK Music, Hometown Glory 2025)
10% of British people would travel eight hours by plane to see their favourite artists. (NME)
63% of Brits have been on trips that combined travel with a gig or festival. (NME)
New York, USA and Barcelona, Spain are the top dream travel destinations for British music lovers. (NME)
Get your business travel program ready for UK travel
The UK tourism industry is booming. From staycations and domestic day visits to business trips, conferences, and international travel, there’s a lot happening across Great Britain.
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