Tourism in the United Kingdom

Tourists at Buckingham Palace
A tourist stall selling various London and United Kingdom related souvenirs on the edge of Trafalgar Square on the Strand

Tourism in the United Kingdom is a major industry and contributor to the U.K. economy, which is the world's 10th biggest tourist destination, with over 40.1 million visiting in 2019, contributing a total of £234 billion to the GDP.[1][2]

£23.1 billion was spent in the UK by foreign tourists in 2017. VisitBritain data shows that the USA remains the most valuable inbound market, with American visitors spending £2.1 billion in 2010.[3] Nevertheless, the number of travellers originating from Europe is much larger than those travelling from North America: 21.5 million compared to 3.5 million American/Canadian visitors.[4] After 9-year rise, as of 2019, United Kingdom attracting 40.86 million international tourists (Even before COVID-19 pandemic began (Between March 2020 and March 2022), which was more than two times U.K.'s total population.[5]

The country's principal tourist destinations are London, Edinburgh, Oxford, Cambridge, York, and Canterbury. The United Kingdom hosts a total of 33 World Heritage sites, the 8th most in the world.[6] The Lonely Planet travel guide voted England number 2, after Bhutan, as one of the best countries to visit in 2020.[7] Some of the most popular cities include London, Edinburgh and Manchester and notable attractions include the Palace of Westminster, the London Eye and Edinburgh Castle.

  1. ^ Luty, J (2022). "Total contribution of travel and tourism to GDP in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2019 to 2021". Statista. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
  2. ^ "Travel trends - Office for National Statistics". www.ons.gov.uk. Retrieved 2022-11-18.
  3. ^ "Fears US Debt Crisis Will Hit UK Tourism". Sky News. 2011. Retrieved 6 August 2011.
  4. ^ "Office for National Statistics – Overseas residents' visits to the UK". Office for National Statistics. 2010. Retrieved 14 August 2011.
  5. ^ "Number of overseas resident visits to the United Kingdom (UK) from 2002 to 2021". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
  6. ^ "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland". UNESCO. 2019. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  7. ^ "Best in Travel 2020". Lonely Planet. 2019. Retrieved 24 April 2020.