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British holidaymakers spent £830 per particular person on the common journey overseas final yr, with complete spending up 10 per cent on 2023. In consequence, the chancellor is going through a wider “stability of tourism” deficit than ever.
UK residents made a document 94.6 million journeys overseas in 2024, in response to knowledge from the Workplace for Nationwide Statistics (ONS). The determine is 10 per cent larger than the earlier yr – and 1.6 per cent up on the pre-Covid peak, reached in 2019.
Collectively they spent £78.6bn, which works out at £215m per day – round 1 / 4 greater than in 2019.
Every of the highest three locations for British guests – Spain, France and Italy – noticed a small drop in numbers in 2024 in contrast with the earlier yr as UK travellers’ horizons expanded. However they continue to be properly forward of the competitors:
Ashley Quint, director of Hertfordshire company Journey Time World, attributed the slight shift away from the highest three to “a normal thirst for someplace a bit totally different – and worth could play an element”. He cited rising curiosity in Croatia, Montenegro, Morocco and Cape Verde.
“There’s additionally the query of pricing and warmth within the Med in the course of the summer season,” Mr Quint mentioned. “Particularly within the premium tiers the place you may typically discover higher worth long-haul.
“Additionally the expansion in cruising, and the way which will take vacationers away from particular locations. Norway and Iceland has been in style this summer season.”
Paul Charles, chief govt of journey consultancy The PC Company, mentioned; “We’re clearly turning into extra adventurous and selecting lesser-explored locations.
“There are large features for bigger favourites corresponding to Finland, Iceland and Dubai, but additionally international locations corresponding to Guatemala, Namibia, Zambia that are attracting British travellers as a result of out of doors experiences on supply, corresponding to volcano-hiking or inner-city safaris.”
The ten per cent rise in spending by British guests overseas far outpaced the rise in spending by abroad vacationers coming to the UK, which rose by simply 4 per cent.
In consequence the tourism deficit – the surplus of spending on outbound journeys over inbound visits – has surged to a document £46.1bn. It means British travellers splurge almost two-and-a-half occasions extra on vacation overseas than overseas vacationers spend within the UK
This rising imbalance, which represents an invisible import, will trigger concern on the Treasury.
Inbound tourism from the European Union has been inhibited by the UK’s resolution to ban holidaymakers from the EU from travelling with their identification playing cards – excluding a possible 300 million European residents who don’t possess passports.
As well as, overseas guests to the UK – besides Irish residents – should pay £16 for an digital journey authorisation (ETA).
Individuals comprised the largest supply of tourists to the UK. The highest three positions are:
The typical spend by every customer to the UK final yr was £763, eight per cent lower than British vacationers usually spend overseas.
Joss Croft, chief govt of UKinbound, mentioned: “The UK authorities have rightly set an bold goal of hitting 50 million worldwide guests by 2030, a goal that will produce a big enhance to the UK financial system. Nonetheless, this goal and the broader progress of inbound tourism continues to be held again by the UK’s lack of worldwide competitiveness, with sky excessive aviation taxes, rising visa and ETA prices and the abolition of incentives corresponding to tax-free purchasing.
“We hope that the federal government will make tackling this aggressive drawback a cornerstone of their method to boosting tourism, a transfer that will ship actual financial advantages and enhance cities and cities throughout the UK.”
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