Travel and tourism in the United Kingdom - statistics & facts

Travel and tourism contribute significantly to the economy in the United Kingdom (UK). In 2021, an estimated 131.5 billion British pounds of the country’s gross domestic product was generated, directly and indirectly, by this sector. However, while the total contribution of travel and tourism to the UK’s GDP increased by around 40 percent compared to the first year of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, this figure remained way below pre-pandemic levels. Due to the health crisis, the contribution of travel and tourism to the UK’s job market also experienced a decline as the sector accounted for nearly 4.3 million jobs in 2019 and 4.1 million in 2021. During and prior to the pandemic, travel and tourism spending in the UK was dominated by leisure spending, which slightly increased in 2021 compared to 2019 as business spending declined.

Tourism in the UK during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of international tourists worldwide shrunk. In 2021, inbound tourist visits in the UK totaled approximately seven million, when prior to the health crisis they added up to nearly 41 million. Unsurprisingly, with the sharp decrease in international travelers came a decline in spending. For instance, the expenditure of travelers from the United States – the leading inbound tourism market in the UK based on travel spending – amounted to 783 million British pounds in 2021, falling by 81 percent compared to 2019. Meanwhile, the number of outbound tourist visits from the UK stood at approximately 19 million in 2021, the lowest figure recorded in over a decade. In addition to limiting international tourism, the pandemic also affected domestic travel as stay-at-home orders were enacted to control the spread of the virus. In 2021, while the total domestic tourism expenditure in Great Britain rose by nearly 68 percent from 2020, it did not manage to catch up yet with pre-pandemic figures.

Travel planning and behavior of British tourists

While the share of Britons taking days of holiday fell dramatically in the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, this scenario improved significantly in 2022. When focusing on international travel, Spain, the United States, and France ranked as the leading outbound travel markets in the UK based on the growth in travel demand on Google as of June 2022. On the other hand, according to a June 2022 survey, the South West emerged as the leading region for summer staycations in the UK. Looking at the attitudes towards traveling in the United Kingdom, Statista’s Global Consumer Survey found that roughly a third of respondents liked to be in nature while traveling in 2022. Meanwhile, 38 percent of surveyed Britons always looked for the cheapest offers when planning a trip. In this respect, personal finances and the rising costs of overseas travel ranked as the main barriers to taking overnight overseas trips from the UK, a March 2022 poll revealed.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Statista Research Department, Sep 7, 2023

Key insights

Total contribution of travel & tourism to GDP in the UK
237bn GBP
Share of leisure spending out of total travel and tourism expenditure in the UK
71%
Total contribution of travel and tourism to employment in the UK
3.6m
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