UK tourism statistics

From the rolling countryside to Buckingham Palace, there’s plenty to see and do in the UK, so it’s no surprise that the UK made it into the top 10 for most international tourist arrivals in 2019.

If you’re planning on visiting the UK, check out our guides on how best to cover yourself while exploring the country.

Quick facts

The number of overseas visitors to the UK: The impact of COVID-19

During the 19-year period from 2002 to 2020, the number of people visiting the UK has gradually increased. The highest number of visitors to the UK in one year was 41.1 million in 2017, meaning the number of visitors was almost two-thirds of the whole population of the UK. Overall, there has been a 69% increase in visitors to the UK, from 24.2 million in 2002 to 40.9 million in 2019.

However, the coronavirus pandemic has brought a shock to the travel industry with travel bans and lockdowns being imposed all around the world. As a result, there were only 11.1 million visitors to the UK in 2020, representing a decrease of almost 73% from 2019.

What are the reasons people visit the UK?

In 2019, with 16.9 million (41%) coming on holiday to the UK, this was the top reason internationals visited the UK. The next top reason was to visit friends or relatives (12.4 million, 30%), followed by people visiting on business (8.7 million, 21%).

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The top tourist countries by visits

Tourists from the United States have contributed the most to the UK’s travel market, both by the number of visitors and amount spent while visiting. In 2018, 4.5 million American tourists visited the UK. French tourists were the second most common, with 3.7 million visiting the UK, followed by Germans (3.3 million), Irish (2.8 million) and Spanish (2.5 million) tourists.

The most popular cities to visit in the UK

It comes as no surprise that London is the most popular city, with 21.7 million international visitors. London had over nine times the number of visitors in 2019 than the next most visited city, Edinburgh (2.2 million). Following the Scottish capital, other large cities like Manchester, Birmingham and Liverpool were the next most popular destinations to visit. These three cities had an average of 1.2 million visitors each.

The most popular attractions in London

The sizes of the names below represent how many visits each attraction had in 2019, with the British Museum being the most popular attraction (6.2 million visitors). Following closely is the Tate modern with 6.1 million visitors and the National Gallery with 6 million visitors. With the top seven attractions in London being museums and galleries, it’s clear that visitors are keen to learn while in the UK’s most popular city.

Cultural products associated with the UK

With almost half (47%) of all respondents saying they associate the UK with museums and with museums also being the most popular type of attraction in London, it’s likely that international visitors would treat a visit to the UK as an educational trip.

Following museums, an average of 38% of respondents considered music, films and sport to be closely associated with the UK.

Click here for more research. For all media enquiries, please contact:

Matt Mckenna
UK communications manager
T: +44 20 8191 8806

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