Overseas residents' visits to the UK and UK residents' visits abroad
The decline in the number of visits to and from the UK continued in the three months July to September 2009.
The seasonally adjusted number of visits to the UK by overseas residents fell by 3 per cent compared with the previous three months, while the non-seasonally adjusted number of visits was 9 per cent lower for the 12 months to September compared with a year earlier.
The seasonally adjusted number of visits abroad by UK residents fell by 1 per cent in July to September when compared with the previous three months, while the non-seasonally adjusted number of visits for the 12 months to September 2009 was down by 14 per cent when compared with a year earlier.
Visits made for business reasons have been particularly subdued in recent months. Business visits to the UK by overseas residents were down 24 per cent in the 12 months to September compared with a year earlier and those by UK residents abroad down by 16 per cent.
However, there was a 1 per cent increase in holiday visits to the UK by overseas residents during the 12 months to September, although holiday visits abroad by UK residents fell by 14 per cent.
Quarterly trends
During July to September 2009, the seasonally adjusted number of visits by overseas residents to the UK decreased by 3 per cent to 7.4 million when compared with the previous three months. The associated spending by overseas residents on visits to the UK decreased by 1 per cent to £4.1 billion.
Over the same period, the seasonally adjusted number of visits abroad by UK residents decreased by 1 per cent to 14.7 million, while the associated spending remained broadly the same at £7.6 billion.
Year-on-year trends
Visits to the UK by overseas residents
During the 12 months to September 2009, the number of visits by overseas residents to the UK, not seasonally adjusted, decreased by 9 per cent when compared with the 12 months to September 2008, from 32.9 million to 29.9 million – a drop of 3.0 million.
Visits to the UK by residents of:
Europe decreased by 9 per cent from 24.3 million to 22.2 million
North America decreased by 15 per cent from 4.1 million to 3.5 million, and
other parts of the world decreased by 7 per cent from 4.5 million to 4.2 million
Visits abroad by UK residents In the 12-month period to September 2009, the number of visits abroad by UK residents, not seasonally adjusted, decreased by 14 per cent when compared with the 12 months to September 2008, from 70.4 to 60.8 million – a drop of 9.6 million.
Visits by UK residents to:
Europe decreased by 14 per cent from 55.6 million to 48.1 million
North America decreased by 20 per cent from 4.7 million to 3.8 million, and
other parts of the world decreased by 11 per cent from 10.0 million to 8.9 million
Notes:
Provisional statistics are published on 19 November in the Overseas Travel and Tourism Statistical Bulletin. Figures showing three-month changes are seasonally adjusted. Figures showing 12-month changes are not seasonally adjusted.
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Monthly overseas travel and tourism Press Release