The latest results from the Great Britain Tourism Survey (GBTS) reveal strong growth in domestic tourism in 2015 with record-breaking spending and the highest trip numbers since 2012.
Key figures include:
103 million overnight trips recorded in England, an 11% increase compared to 2014.
8% increase in expenditure compared to 2014, with a total spend of £19.6 billion – a record.
The number of holidays taken in England in 2015 increased by 7% from the previous year to 43.7 million and holiday expenditure also increased by 7%.
Visits to friends and relatives were an important driver of growth with the number of trips up by 13% to 40.6 million, the highest level since 2006, and a 15% increase in expenditure.
All regions across England experienced growth in overnight trips and spend.
Regions which saw the biggest increases in overnight trips include Yorkshire (+20%), the West Midlands (+22%), London (+14%) and the South West (+14%).
Regions seeing double digit increase in spend include the West Midlands (+26%), North East (+15%), South West (+13%) and Yorkshire (+11%).
Trips to the English countryside saw growth of 17%.
124 million trips recorded across Great Britain, a 9% increase on 2014 with spend also up by 9% to £25 billion.
Culture Secretary John Whittingdale said:
“Tourism is one of our fastest growing sectors and we are absolutely committed to helping support the industry across the whole country.
“The increase in visitors and spend throughout the regions is excellent news for our economy and shows that our stunning countryside and world-leading attractions are a huge draw for domestic visitors.”
VisitEngland/VisitBritain Chief Executive Officer Sally Balcombe said: “These hugely encouraging results demonstrate the growing importance of tourism to the UK economy as we continue our drive to get visitors out exploring more of our regions, ensuring that economic growth from tourism is felt across the whole country.”
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