Number of international tourist visits to London 2009-2019
Approximately 21.71 million trips were made by international tourists to London (UK) in 2019. The number of overseas residents visiting the city steadily increased over the last ten years, before dropping off slightly in 2018. Overall, international tourism to the UK is expected to fall to an uncharacteristic low of less than 17 million in 2020 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Measuring tourism in London
The main indicators used for measuring tourism in the United Kingdom are by the number of visits, overnight stays and spending. As inbound tourism visits increase, so have the number of overnight stays and expenditure of visitors. According to recent figures, international tourists spend nearly 119 million nights a year in London and inbound tourist spending exceeded 15.7 billion British pounds in 2019.
Is London the most visited city in the world?
Although London holds a global city status, it is not quite the most visited city in the world. London often rivals Paris as the most visited city destination in Europe. However, worldwide, Bangkok beat both to become the leading city destination worldwide in 2018, based on overnight visitors, with London ranking in third place.
Measuring tourism in London
The main indicators used for measuring tourism in the United Kingdom are by the number of visits, overnight stays and spending. As inbound tourism visits increase, so have the number of overnight stays and expenditure of visitors. According to recent figures, international tourists spend nearly 119 million nights a year in London and inbound tourist spending exceeded 15.7 billion British pounds in 2019.
Is London the most visited city in the world?
Although London holds a global city status, it is not quite the most visited city in the world. London often rivals Paris as the most visited city destination in Europe. However, worldwide, Bangkok beat both to become the leading city destination worldwide in 2018, based on overnight visitors, with London ranking in third place.
