In 2024, the UK just about cemented its standing as a best world spot for vacationers, drawing in kind of 42.6 million world guests, in line with the Global Passenger Survey (IPS) newest numbers. The Place of work for Nationwide Statistics (ONS) printed this on August 26, 2025, and VisitBritain later showed it.
The wave of tourists introduced in round £32.5 billion and added as much as 293 million in a single day remains. We are speaking a couple of 6% bump in arrivals in comparison to 2023, getting beautiful with regards to the ones pre-pandemic days of 2019 – only a tiny 1% shy, in reality.
Key Supply Markets and Financial Have an effect on
America completely nailed it because the main marketplace, throwing down a report £7.26 billion. Proper in the back of them had been the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations, then Germany, France, and Australia. Lots of the guests nonetheless come from Europe, about 25.9 million, however North The us actually took off, hitting 6.5 million guests, a soar of twenty-two% since 2019, with a large 66% spending building up to £8.15 billion.
Different puts farther out additionally confirmed a just right spice up. For instance, New Zealand and Saudi Arabia each had a 56% upward thrust in arrivals since 2019, which displays the United Kingdom’s were given a rising attraction for long-distance vacationers. Then again, Northeast Asia, particularly China, continues to be lagging a little. They are up 26% from 2023, however nonetheless down 48% from prior to the pandemic.
Commute Tendencies: Recreational Dominates, Industry Recovers
The general public got here for a laugh, making up 41% of arrivals (that is 15.9 million). Visiting family and friends was once additionally massive, atmosphere a report at 13.3 million (34%). Industry shuttle continues to be down (22% beneath 2019), but it surely did building up via 5% in comparison to final yr, with 6.8 million journeys and a 12% spending building up. The typical individual spent £763 over about 6.9 nights. Although spending in line with individual seems to be higher than in 2019, it isn’t relatively as just right whilst you consider inflation.
Having a look Forward
All issues thought to be, UK tourism in 2024 demonstrated some resilience or even some enlargement, particularly coming from North The us and puts like New Zealand and Saudi Arabia. There are undoubtedly some hurdles to transparent, most commonly getting industry shuttle and Northeast Asian guests again not off course. Nonetheless, nearly report customer numbers and forged financial affects recommend issues are taking a look up for UK tourism.
