UK inbound tourism set to smash records in 2020

The number of people visiting the UK is set to reach a record-breaking 39.7 million next year, up by 2.9% on 2019.

Those tourists are also expected to spend 6.6% more than in 2019, contributing £26.6 billion to the economy overall.

Over the past decade, inbound tourism has grown 33% and its spending increased by 58%.

“Tourism is one of the UK’s most valuable export industries and these results show our continued ability to attract international visitors in a fiercely competitive global market,” said Patricia Yates, VisitBritain’s director.

“We are seeing success in growing tourism from our long-haul, high-spending markets including the US, our largest and most valuable inbound market, and from markets that are crucial for our future such as China.”