Trade
Tourism Statistics
Tourism is one of the largest industries in the UK, accounting for 2.9% of UK Gross Value Added and worth approximately £85.6 billion in 2006.
Inbound Tourism to the UK
1. The 32.7 million overseas visitors who came in 2006 spent £16.0 billion in the UK. 2006 was a record year for UK inbound tourism both in terms of volume and value (in nominal terms).
2. Total visits for 2006 are 32.7 million visits, a 9% increase compared with 2005, with an increase of 12% in spending to £16.0 billion.
3. In 2006 the UK ranked sixth in the international tourism earnings league behind the USA, Spain, France, Italy and China.
4. The top five overseas markets for the UK in 2006 were:
Country Visits/Spend
USA 3.9m/£2.9bn
France 3.7m/£1bn
Germany 3.4m/£1.1bn
Ireland 2.9m/£900m
Spain 1.9m/£835m
Download more detailed inbound statistics by clicking here
UK Domestic Tourism
Expenditure in 2006 (on overnight and day visits) was estimated to be almost £68 billion.
In 2006 UK residents took:
- 53.3 million holidays of one night or more spending £10.9 billion
- 19.2 million overnight business trips spending £4.6 billion
- 49.6 million overnight trips to friends and relatives spending £4.8 billion
Employment
1. Over 2 million jobs are sustained by tourism activity in the UK, either directly or indirectly
2. There are an estimated 1.45 million jobs directly related to tourism activity in the UK, some 5% of all people in employment in the UK.
3. Approximately 132,400 of these jobs are in self-employment.
Accommodation
1. In 2003, the turnover of the hotel industry was £10.9 billion. This represented an increase of 4% compared to 2002.
2. In 2006, average room occupancy for all serviced accommodation throughout the UK was 61% (up 2 percentage points from 2005). Average bedspace occupancy was 47% (an increase of 3 percentage points on 2005).
Day Visit Statistics for England
Download detailed statistics on day visitor trade here
Tourism Statistics for Cornwall
Click here to be taken to VisitCornwall's tourism statistics page.
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