The UK saw strong growth in 2017 from a mix of overseas visitor markets including the United States, Europe and Australia, underpinning a record year for inbound tourism. 

New figures from VisitBritain show that 2017 was a record-breaker for overseas visits to the UK and for the amount visitors spent across the country. There were 39.2 million inbound visits to the UK in 2017, up 4%, with visitors spending £24.5 billion, up 9%. 

Visits from the US, the UK’s most valuable market for tourism spend, grew 13% to 3.9 million in 2017, the highest since 2000. Visitors from the US spent a record £3.6 billion, up 9%.

There were a record 25.6 million visits from the EU in 2017, with visitors spending £10 billion, and 1.1 million visits from Australia, up 11%, with spending of £1.2 billion, up 13%.

Tourism Minister Michael Ellis said: “Britain’s tourism industry is booming. Last year was another record-breaker and we welcomed more people than ever from important markets including China, India and the Gulf states. We are working hard to sustain this excellent growth and encourage international visitors to travel around the UK, ensuring that more communities can benefit.” 

VisitBritain Director Patricia Yates said: “Tourism is one of Britain’s most valuable export industries and the strong growth across many of our high-value markets demonstrates our continued ability to attract international visitors in a fiercely competitive global industry, and to deliver economic growth right across the country.
 
“This growth underscores the increasing importance of tourism as an industry that demonstrates Britain is an outward-facing nation, welcoming and engaging people from all over the world.”
 
Inbound tourism visits across the English regions, outside of London, reached a record 16.5 million in 2017, up 3%, with spending equalling the previous record of £7.8 billion. Records were also set for the number of visits to London, up 4% on 2017 to 19.8 million, with spending up 14% to a record £13.5 billion.

There were 1.1 million inbound visits to Wales, with spending of £369 million. Inbound visits to Scotland were up 17% to 3.2 million, with a record spend of £2.3 billion, up 23%.
 
“It’s great news that 2017 was another superb year for inbound visits to the UK,” said Janet Redler, Chief Executive of Janet Redler Travel & Tourism. “The US and Europe are key markets for us, so it is especially rewarding to see record figures for these regions. Britain offers a warm welcome to visitors from all over the globe. We have world-class attractions, a fascinating history to explore and spectacular landscapes to enjoy. In fact, with favourable exchange rates at the moment, there has never been a better time to visit the UK.”

Tourism is worth £127 billion annually to the UK economy, creating jobs and boosting economic growth across its nations and regions. 

If you or your group would like to enjoy a tailor-made tour of the UK, please do contact our friendly team today.