uk inbound tourism

What is inbound tourism explained and why does it matter?

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Inbound tourism is an important type of tourism . Many countries rely heavily on the demand from inbound tourists to fuel the development and operations of their tourism economy.

But what does it actually mean to be an inbound tourist? In this article I will explain what is meant by the term inbound tourism, provide definitions of inbound tourism and I will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of inbound tourism. Lastly, I will provide examples of destinations which have significantly sized inbound tourism markets.

What is inbound tourism?

Inbound tourism definitions, the importance of inbound tourism, uk inbound tourism, advantages of inbound tourism, disadvantages of inbound tourism, inbound tourism: conclusion, further reading on inbound tourism.

Inbound tourism is the act of someone travelling to a country other than that of where they live for the purpose of tourism.

Many countries around the world rely on inbound tourism.

Inbound tourism is often seasonal, meaning that many destinations will have evident peak, shoulder and low seasons. This is often dependant on weather conditions (for example sun or snow ) and school and public holidays.

The most widely utilised definition of tourism , proposed by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and United States (UN) Nations Statistics Division (1994), prescribes that in order to qualify as a tourist one must travel and remain in a place outside of their usual residential environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business or other purposes.

When considering inbound tourism, it therefore makes sense to simply add in the prerequisite of travelling to another country…

Based on this commonly accepted definition (although this is not without its limits- see this post for more details ), therefore, inbound tourism can be defined as:

‘The act of travelling to another country for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business or other purposes.’

Inbound tourism is incredibly important in many destinations.

This is largely because of the economic benefits of tourism . Tourism can bring in a lot of money to a country through foreign exchange. This is particularly beneficial in countries where the currency is weaker than the currency of the tourists ‘ home countries.

It is for this reason that many countries will target their advertising towards certain nationalities. China produces one of the largest outbound tourism markets in the world and Chinese tourists tend to spend more on their holidays than any other nationality. Therefore many countries want to attract Chinese inbound tourists due to the economic value of this market.

Click here to see some interesting statistics demonstrating the growth in the Chinese outbound tourism market.

However, over dependance on inbound tourism can be risky business for destinations. There are many destinations, such as the Maldives , Spain and Greece who rely heavily on people travelling from other countries to their country for tourism.

The problem occurs when the travel industry is disrupted. This has never been more true than during the 2020 pandemic, when the impacts of Coronavirus on tourism were devastating.

Inbound tourism can also be negatively effected as a result of other factors, such as political unrest, natural disasters or economic instability.

In order to ensure sustainable tourism principles are adopted, destinations ideally need to diversify their tourism product to appeal to both the domestic tourism market and the inbound tourism market.

In The United Kingdom, we have a sizeable inbound tourism industry.

Here, inbound tourism is worth £127 billion per year to the UK economy. Inbound tourism creates jobs and boosts the economic throughout the country.

According to the UK tourist board, Visit Britain , inbound visitors to the UK spent £24.5 billion in 2017, and £21 billion of that was spent in England.

Inbound tourism attracts tourists from all over the world including Europe, the USA, Australia , China and Japan.

Inbound tourism markets around the world

Inbound tourism is a significant part of the tourism industry in many countries around the world.

The OECD have some useful data, demonstrating the most recent figures for inbound tourism around the world.

To take a look at the most recent OECD inbound tourism figures click here.

Here are a few tourism markets that have a high number of inbound tourists each year-

According to Statistica , Spain ranked second on the World Tourism Organisation’s list of most visited countries in the world, with its number of international visitors amounting to nearly 89.4 million in 2018.

Most travellers to Spain come from Europe, with the largest amount of tourists being British.

Spain is popular for its beach holidays, package holiday market and city breaks to Barcelona, Madrid and Valencia, amongst others.

The Maldives has been host to a fast-growing tourism industry in recent years. The archipelago attracts visitors all-year round, especially in hubs like Male which is home to an increasing number of modern hotels. 

Statistica reported in February 2019 that there were sharp increases in economic activity in The Maldives resulting from tourism. Figures showed a 16.8% increase in inbound tourism from the same time the previous year.

In total, 168,583 inbound tourists were recorded in The Maldives in 2019. China accounted for 17.8% and European markets accounted for a further 55% of inbound tourism.

The Maldives is renowned for its luxurious beach holidays.

Inbound tourism is one of the biggest economic activities in Thailand .

The National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) stated that in February 2019 the tourism industry accounted for 18.4% of GDP. Chinese visitors make up almost one third of all inbound tourists travelling to Thailand , with 10.99 million visits recorded in 2019.

There are many types of tourism found in Thailand and Thailand attracts a range of types of tourists, from backpackers to luxury travellers to business tourists .

Bali is another destination that is reliant on inbound tourism as a key economic contributor.

In 2018, the number of foreign tourists travelling to Bali was over 5 million. This was an increase of approximately 3.5 million from 2008. Figures taken from Statistica .

The inbound tourism market in Bali is dominated largely by Chinese and Australian tourists.

Bali is well-known for its beach escapes and cultural tourism .

There are many advantages of inbound tourism.

One advantage is that inbound tourism is not reliant on weekends in the way that domestic tourism is because people tend to your their annual leave when they take holidays overseas.

Having an inbound tourism market that attracts tourists from a range of destinations can help to minimise risk and diversify income. This way, if for some reason one country does not send many tourists (for example due to political or economic problems) then the host country still has visitors arriving from other countries.

On average, inbound tourists spend more money than domestic tourists. This money then helps boost the economy of the host country.

When we travel overseas we typically book further in advance than if we booked a domestic trip. This allows tourism organisations more time to plan.

Foreign income can really help to boost the economy of a country. Therefore foreign tourists are often welcomed. This especially applies to tourists who come from destinations where the currency is strong (e.g. Britain, USA, Europe, Australia).

Other posts that you might be interested in: – What is tourism? A definition of tourism – The history of tourism – The structure of the tourism industry – Stakeholders in tourism – Dark tourism explained – What is ABTA and how does it work? – The economic impacts of tourism

There are also some disadvantages of inbound tourism.

The main disadvantage of inbound tourism is that the destination is at the mercy of the transport network.

There are many cases of tourism industries being decimated because an airline has stopped operating a particular route.

Inbound tourism can also lead to culture clashes.

For example, British tourists who travel to Dubai are often not aware of Muslim cultural practices. As such, it is common for the local population to be offended by the tourist’s behaviour. In Dubai there are many signs up in the malls, for instance, that requests tourists cover up and dress appropriately .

In conclusion, it can be seen that inbound tourism is a highly effective way for a country to make money from tourism. Whilst this does take some careful management and planning, there are many countries throughout the world who have successful and thriving inbound tourism industries.

• An Introduction to Tourism : a comprehensive and authoritative introduction to all facets of tourism including: the history of tourism; factors influencing the tourism industry; tourism in developing countries; sustainable tourism; forecasting future trends.
• The Business of Tourism Management : an introduction to key aspects of tourism, and to the practice of managing a tourism business.
• Tourism Management: An Introduction : gives its reader a strong understanding of the dimensions of tourism, the industries of which it is comprised, the issues that affect its success, and the management of its impact on destination economies, environments and communities.

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New 2022 international tourism arrivals forecast for UK

Wednesday, April 13, 2022 Favorite

Today trade association UKinbound, which represents over 300 UK tourism businesses that service international tourists visiting the UK (inbound tourism), has released new figures for 2022, showing the industry is beginning to recover.

In a March survey of its members, undertaken by Qa Research, over one in three (39%) of respondents stated that international bookings and visitors for April/May/June 2022 were expected to be the same or higher than pre-pandemic, however the majority (61%) are expecting international bookings/visitors to be down, by an average of 47%.

Inbound tourism businesses revenue predictions for this period were similar, with almost half (45%) expecting them to be the same or higher than pre-pandemic, and 55% expecting them to be lower by an average of 49%. The US market is recovering the strongest, with one in three businesses seeing growth in this market.

Parallels also emerged when businesses were asked to consider international bookings and visitors between July and December 2022, compared with pre-pandemic. 50% are expecting figures to be the same or higher, and 50% are expecting international bookings and visitor numbers to be lower by an average of 41%.

Business confidence continues to rise, with 63% of companies confident about the impending 12 months, up from 56% in January 2022. April 2020 saw confidence levels at an all time low, 11%, but they have steadily risen every quarter since then.

Commenting on the results, Joss Croft, CEO, UKinbound said it is fantastic to see international travellers returning to the UK and we’re delighted to see the strongest growth from our number one market, the USA. The ending of all UK travel restrictions has given international consumers the confidence to begin travelling here again. Compared with 2020 and 2021 business is booming but we’re significantly lagging behind 2019 prosperity and our competitors.

Inbound tourism is the country’s second largest service export industry, second only to financial services. It can accelerate the UK’s economic recovery but it’s a competitive industry and more needs to be done to entice international visitors back to the UK.

Continued Government investment in the promotion of Britain abroad and the implementation of policies and funding that support the recovery and growth of businesses across the sector continues to be vital.

Tags: Tourism news , Travel news , UK , UK Tourism

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• Entering and staying in the UK
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• Immigration system statistics, year ending March 2024
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How many people come to the UK each year (including visitors)?

Published 23 May 2024

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Back to ‘Immigration system statistics, year ending March 2024’ content page .

Data relates to the year ending March 2024 and all comparisons are with the year ending March 2023 (unless indicated otherwise). All data includes dependants, unless indicated otherwise.

1. Passenger arrivals to the UK

This section presents the latest statistics relating to passenger flows across the border. Most passenger arrivals will be British nationals (many of whom will be returning from short trips outside the UK), and short-term visitors (such as those coming to the UK for a holiday). More information on the data sources can be found in the ‘About the statistics’ section below.

In the year ending March 2024 there were 125.5 million arrivals, 13% more than the preceding year.

Passengers arriving by air accounted for 88% of all passenger arrivals to the UK (across all routes) in the year ending March 2024, with 7% arriving via rail and 5% by sea. These are similar to the proportions for the year ending March 2023

Figure 1: Monthly air passenger arrivals to the UK, January 2020 to March 2024

Source: Passenger arrivals - Arr_01

• Data prior to 2022 comes from Advanced Passenger Information (API) and is not directly comparable to data from Borders and Immigration Transaction Data (BITD).

From March 2020, following the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, various measures were introduced to restrict global travel and the spread of the virus. These measures (testing and Passenger Locator Forms) were phased out in the first few months of 2022, with travel to the UK increasing, as the comparison against 2023 and 2024 shows in Figure 1.

Figure 2: Monthly passenger arrivals to the UK, by nationality, January 2022 to March 2024

Source: Passenger arrivals - Arr_02

In the year ending March 2024, 55% of total arrivals were British nationals. This proportion typically remained between 50 to 60% with some fluctuations which may be due to seasonal trends or differing patterns in holidays.

Prior to 2022 during periods with notable COVID-19 restrictions, such as early 2021, the proportion of British nationals was as low as 31%, which aligned with the lowest overall air passenger arrivals with other nationals also decreasing. As passenger numbers increased from July 2021 onwards, we also saw that proportion increase beyond 50%.

2. Visitors and short-term stays

Only certain nationalities (‘visa-nationals’) are required to obtain an entry clearance visa before coming to visit the UK, which is one reason why there are considerably more passenger arrivals than visas granted. Additionally, passenger arrivals will include British nationals. Many nationalities, including US nationals do not normally require a visa to visit the UK; consequently, there are considerably fewer visitor visas granted than visitor arrivals.

There are several ways a non-British national may get permission to visit the UK for a short, temporary period, (usually up to 6 months), for purposes such as tourism, visiting friends or family, carrying out a business activity, or undertaking a short course of study.

visa nationals must apply online for an entry clearance visa in advance of travel

non-visa nationals can be granted leave to enter on arrival at the UK border

people with existing immigration status do not need additional documents

the electronic travel authorisation (ETA) scheme is for visitors who do not need a visa for short stays to the UK, or who do not already have a UK immigration status prior to travelling; further information can be found on the Electronic travel authorisation (ETA) guidance page

There were 2.0 million visitor visas granted in the year ending March 2024, 30% higher than the year ending March 2023 and 17% lower than 2019, prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Visitor visa grants have continued to increase post-pandemic but are still below their peak in 2019 (2.4 million).

In the year ending March 2024, Indian nationals accounted for 25% of Visitor visas granted (511,167), with Chinese nationals accounting for 23% (455,600). The next largest visa nationalities were Turkish (7%), Nigerian (5%), South African and Pakistani (both 4%).

The increase in the latest year was largely accounted for by 348,861 more visitor visas for Chinese nationals, over 4 times the number in the year ending March 2023 but 29% fewer than in the year ending December 2019. Visitor visas for Indian nationals increased in the latest year by 6%.

The ETA scheme opened to Qatari nationals on 15 October 2023. From 1 February 2024, the scheme also opened to nationals of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Jordan. To the end of March 2024, there were 183,642 applications for ETAs and 180,518 grants.

Table 1: Applications and Outcomes for ETAs by Nationality, to the end of March 2024

Additional information on visitors to the UK is published by the Office for National Statistics ( ONS ) in its publication ‘Leisure and tourism statistics’ .

3. Other grants of Entry clearance visas

There were 1.4 million other grants of entry clearance in the year ending March 2024, 8% fewer than in the year ending March 2023. This was made up of Work (605,264), Study (562,403), Family (79,384) and ‘Other’ (125,861) visas, which includes the Ukraine schemes (33,071).

Figure 3: Entry clearance visas granted by route (main applicants and dependants) between the year ending March 2015 and the year ending March 2024

Source: Entry clearance visa applications and outcomes – Vis_D02

• Other includes Ukraine Scheme Visas, British National (Overseas), EEA and EUSS Permits.

Total visa numbers are now higher than pre-pandemic levels with almost 3.4 million visas granted in the year ending March 2024. Figure 3 shows that the increase within the last year is primarily due to 459,482 more visitor visas, which now make up over half (59%) of total entry clearance visas granted in the year ending March 2024. However, the number of visitor visas issued is 13% lower than in the year ending March 2020, prior to the pandemic.

By contrast, there are now more work and study visas granted in the year ending March 2024 (1.7 million) than in the year ending March 2020 (597,958). There were also 125,861 visas granted for other reasons in the year ending March 2024, (including grants of leave on the Ukraine Schemes and the British National (Overseas) route), which is less than half (-60%) the number compared to the previous year. Family visas have remained stable within this period.

4. About these statistics

The statistics in this section provide an indication of the number of people who enter the UK.

The data does not show whether, or when, an individual arrived in the UK, what they did on arrival to the UK or how long they stayed in the UK.

Many nationalities do not normally require a visa to visit the UK. As a result, they will be counted in the passenger arrivals data but not in the visa data. A list of designated nationalities referred to as ‘visa nationals’ who do require a visa to visit the UK can be found in Immigration Rules Appendix V: visitor rules .

For several reasons, data on passenger arrivals is not directly comparable with data on Entry clearance visas granted. A summary of what each dataset counts is provided in section 4.1 below and section 4.2 .

4.1 Passenger arrivals

The statistics in this release relate to the number of passengers crossing the border through legitimate routes. The method used to measure those arriving in the UK have been improved and differ from methods used previously and published regularly in the ‘admissions’ data tables, which are now a part of the ‘Passengers refused entry at the border’ summary tables. Further information on the differences between these methods can be found in the user guide. Any nationality breakdowns are based on the nationality associated with the passport used to enter the UK (regardless of any dual nationality held).

The statistics include people entering the UK on most air, sea and rail routes, and while they include the vast majority of arrivals, there are some coverage gaps. For example, people entering the UK via the Common Travel Area (CTA) between the UK and Ireland are not required to present their passport on entry to the UK and will not be included in the data.

Previous Passenger Arrivals reports used Advance Passenger Information (API) data, which primarily relates to passengers coming to the UK via commercial aviation routes. The data does not include those arriving by sea or rail routes, by private vessel. As a result, figures in this report may differ from passenger arrival statistics published elsewhere, however, the levels should be broadly comparable.

4.2 Entry clearance visas

Data on Entry clearance visas in this section refer to the number of visas granted for all reasons within the period. References in the statistics to ‘visas’ will also include Entry clearance ‘permits’, such as EEA and EU Settlement Scheme Family permits, or Frontier Worker permits. If an individual was granted multiple visas in a given period, this will be counted as multiple grants in the statistics. If an individual entered the UK multiple times within the period for which a visa was valid, this will be counted as one grant in the visa statistics, but multiple arrivals in the passenger arrivals data.

Year-on-year comparisons of the number of decisions can be affected by quarterly fluctuations in the data. Such fluctuations can be examined in more detail in the quarterly data that is available in the published tables.

Several known factors may have affected the number of applications and outcomes of visit-related visas over time. For example, the Home Office launched a 2-year Chinese visa pilot in January 2016 for Chinese nationals. The increase in longer-term Visitor visas may affect the number of subsequent re-applications by Chinese nationals.

More information on non-visitor arrival and visa data by category is included in ʻWhy do people come to the UK? To work’ , ʻWhy do people come to the UK? To study’ and ʻWhy do people come to the UK? For family reasons’ .

For more information on specific routes to the UK, including Ukraine Visa Schemes and British National (Overseas) ( BN(O) ) visas, see the ‘ Safe and legal (humanitarian) routes to the UK ’.

5. Data tables

• Sponsorship summary tables
• Detailed sponsorship datasets
• Entry clearance visas summary tables
• Detailed entry clearance visas datasets
• Passenger arrivals summary tables

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• International tourist spending in the UK 2004-2024

International tourism expenditure in the United Kingdom rose significantly in 2022 over the previous year, after dropping sharply with the onset of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Overall, international tourism spending in the UK amounted to roughly 26.5 billion British pounds in 2022, increasing by nearly 21 billion British pounds from 2021 but remaining below pre-pandemic levels. Inbound tourism expenditure was forecast to grow further by 2024, reaching an estimated 34.1 billion British pounds and surpassing the peak reported in 2019.

Spending of international visitors to the United Kingdom from 2004 to 2022, with a forecast for 2023 and 2024 (in billion GBP)

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¹ 2023 and 2024 data has been forecast by Visit Britain as of December 20, 2023, based on various sources, including passenger numbers by mode of transport and figures on flight bookings. Please find here additional information related to the methodology.

Figures from prior to 2010 were taken from previous reports.  Estimates based on the International Passenger Survey (IPS) . Interviews are conducted with passengers arriving and departing from the country and include visits for all purposes, including for vacation, business, study, visiting friends and family, and other leisure purposes. The annual (non-forecast) results are as reported by the Office for National Statistics .

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Statistics on " Travel and tourism in the United Kingdom (UK) "

• Travel and tourism's total contribution to GDP in the UK 2019-2022
• Distribution of travel and tourism expenditure in the UK 2019-2022, by type
• Distribution of travel and tourism expenditure in the UK 2019-2022, by tourist type
• Travel and tourism's total contribution to employment in the UK 2019-2022
• Median full-time salary in tourism and hospitality industries in the UK 2023
• CPI inflation rate of travel and tourism services in the UK 2023
• Inbound tourist visits to the UK 2019-2022, by purpose of trip
• Leading inbound travel markets in the UK 2019-2022, by number of visits
• Leading inbound travel markets in the UK 2023, by growth in travel demand on Google
• Number of overnight stays by inbound tourists in the UK 2004-2022
• Leading inbound travel markets for the UK 2019-2023, by spending
• Number of outbound tourist visits from the UK 2007-2023
• Outbound tourism visits from the UK 2019-2022, by purpose
• Leading outbound travel markets in the UK 2023, by growth in travel demand on Google
• Number of outbound overnight stays by UK residents 2011-2023
• Outbound tourism expenditure in the UK 2007-2023
• Domestic overnight trips in Great Britain 2010-2022
• Domestic tourism trips in Great Britain 2018-2022, by purpose
• Number of domestic overnight trips in Great Britain 2023, by destination type
• Number of tourism day visits in Great Britain 2011-2022
• Total domestic travel expenditure in Great Britain 2019-2022
• Domestic overnight tourism spending in Great Britain 2010-2022
• Expenditure on domestic day trips in Great Britain 2011-2022
• Average spend on domestic summer holidays in the United Kingdom (UK) 2011-2023
• Number of accommodation businesses in the United Kingdom (UK) 2008-2021
• Number of accommodation enterprises in the United Kingdom (UK) 2018-2021, by type
• Turnover of accommodation businesses in the United Kingdom (UK) 2008-2021
• Turnover of accommodation services in the United Kingdom (UK) 2015-2021, by sector
• Number of hotel businesses in the United Kingdom (UK) 2008-2021
• Consumer expenditure on accommodation in the UK 2005-2022
• Attitudes towards traveling in the UK 2024
• Travel frequency for private purposes in the UK 2024
• Travel frequency for business purposes in the UK 2024
• Share of Britons taking days of holiday 2019-2023, by number of days
• Share of Britons who did not take any holiday days 2019-2023, by gender
• Share of Britons who did not take any holiday days 2019-2023, by age
• Leading regions for summer staycations in the UK 2024
• Preferred methods to book the next overseas holiday in the UK October 2022, by age
• Travel & Tourism market revenue in the United Kingdom 2018-2028, by segment
• Travel & Tourism market revenue growth in the UK 2019-2028, by segment
• Revenue forecast in selected countries in the Travel & Tourism market in 2024
• Number of users of package holidays in the UK 2018-2028
• Number of users of hotels in the UK 2018-2028
• Number of users of vacation rentals in the UK 2018-2028

Other statistics that may interest you Travel and tourism in the United Kingdom (UK)

• Basic Statistic Travel and tourism's total contribution to GDP in the UK 2019-2022
• Basic Statistic Distribution of travel and tourism expenditure in the UK 2019-2022, by type
• Basic Statistic Distribution of travel and tourism expenditure in the UK 2019-2022, by tourist type
• Basic Statistic Travel and tourism's total contribution to employment in the UK 2019-2022
• Premium Statistic Median full-time salary in tourism and hospitality industries in the UK 2023
• Premium Statistic CPI inflation rate of travel and tourism services in the UK 2023

Inbound tourism

• Basic Statistic Inbound tourist visits to the UK 2002-2022
• Premium Statistic Inbound tourist visits to the UK 2019-2022, by purpose of trip
• Basic Statistic Leading inbound travel markets in the UK 2019-2022, by number of visits
• Premium Statistic Leading inbound travel markets in the UK 2023, by growth in travel demand on Google
• Premium Statistic Number of overnight stays by inbound tourists in the UK 2004-2022
• Premium Statistic International tourist spending in the UK 2004-2024
• Premium Statistic Leading inbound travel markets for the UK 2019-2023, by spending
• Premium Statistic Leading UK cities for international tourism 2019-2022, by visits

Outbound tourism

• Premium Statistic Number of outbound tourist visits from the UK 2007-2023
• Premium Statistic Outbound tourism visits from the UK 2019-2022, by purpose
• Premium Statistic Leading outbound travel destinations from the UK 2019-2023
• Premium Statistic Leading outbound travel markets in the UK 2023, by growth in travel demand on Google
• Premium Statistic Number of outbound overnight stays by UK residents 2011-2023
• Premium Statistic Outbound tourism expenditure in the UK 2007-2023

Domestic tourism

• Premium Statistic Domestic overnight trips in Great Britain 2010-2022
• Premium Statistic Domestic tourism trips in Great Britain 2018-2022, by purpose
• Premium Statistic Number of domestic overnight trips in Great Britain 2023, by destination type
• Premium Statistic Number of tourism day visits in Great Britain 2011-2022
• Premium Statistic Total domestic travel expenditure in Great Britain 2019-2022
• Premium Statistic Domestic overnight tourism spending in Great Britain 2010-2022
• Premium Statistic Expenditure on domestic day trips in Great Britain 2011-2022
• Premium Statistic Average spend on domestic summer holidays in the United Kingdom (UK) 2011-2023
• Premium Statistic Number of accommodation businesses in the United Kingdom (UK) 2008-2021
• Premium Statistic Number of accommodation enterprises in the United Kingdom (UK) 2018-2021, by type
• Premium Statistic Turnover of accommodation businesses in the United Kingdom (UK) 2008-2021
• Premium Statistic Turnover of accommodation services in the United Kingdom (UK) 2015-2021, by sector
• Premium Statistic Number of hotel businesses in the United Kingdom (UK) 2008-2021
• Basic Statistic Most popular hotel brands in the UK Q3 2023
• Premium Statistic Consumer expenditure on accommodation in the UK 2005-2022

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ITB China 2024 closes with great success, boasting more than 27,500 Business Meetings

ITB China 2024, the travel trade show focused on China’s travel market, has concluded its fifth edition, marking an unprecedented year of regrowth and optimism for the Chinese travel industry. More than 15,000 attendees, over 1000 selected buyers, and around 250 media representatives participated in the event, underlining the high demand and increased interest of and in the Chinese travel market. The show facilitated +27,500 business meetings, reflecting the vibrant business atmosphere and eagerness for face-to-face interactions during all three days. With over 600 exhibitors from more than 80 countries, the event highlighted the robust recovery and further potential of China’s travel market.

Since 2023, China’s travel market has been on a steady upward trajectory, supported by improved visa policies and increased flight capacity. This year, ITB China demonstrated not only the recovery of the market, but also the strong demand and increased interest from global partners, signaling the potential for continued growth.

David Axiotis, Vice President China at Messe Berlin, reflected on ITB China 2024, stating, “The success of ITB China 2024 underscores the resilience and potential of China’s travel industry. Our show has set a new benchmark for industry events. It is propelling the Chinese travel market to new heights, fostering global partnerships, and driving industry growth. As we look ahead, we remain committed to supporting the travel community and facilitating opportunities for business expansion and innovation”.

On 27 May, the distinguished guests of ITB China 2024 attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony, including: Dr. Mario Tobias, CEO, Messe Berlin GmbH;  Ibrahim Faisal, Minister of Tourism, Ministry of Tourism, Republic of Maldives;  David Axiotis, Vice President China, Messe Berlin GmbH; Liu Shijun, Vice Chair and Secretary-General, World Tourism Alliance (WTA); Chen Baiyu, President, China Association of Travel Services (CATS);  Xiong Xing, COO, Trip.com Group

Summit of Travel Industry Leaders

The newly launched  ITB China 2024 C-Talks  set the stage for an impactful gathering of the highest level. This exclusive closed-door event brought together presidents, founders and C-level executives from China’s top travel agencies with highest level destination representatives and international tourism leaders, addressing key topics of the Chinese and global travel industry, such as China’s outbound travel recovery, increased demand for local experiences, and future trends in the travel industry. The successful completion of the C-Talks event demonstrates the influence and ability of ITB China to bring together the key players of the Chinese market and global travel industry.

Together with Partner Destination Maldives, the Grand Opening Dinner featured 600 esteemed guests and VIP from the global and Chinese travel industry. Welcome speeches were given by Dr. Mario Tobias, CEO of Messe Berlin; Zihuny Rasheed, Deputy Managing Director of Maldives Marketing & PR Corporation and Liu Shijun, Vice Chair and Secretary-General of WTA.

More than 600 Exhibitors and 1000 hand-selected top buyers engaged in over 27,500 meetings, fostering partnerships, new collaborations and business. The positive feedback from attendees underscores ITB China’s positioning as China’s premier travel event.

Zihury Rasheed, Deputy Managing Director of MMPRC, this year’s Partner Destination, noted, “We decided to participate in ITB China on this scale because it is the perfect place for B2B networking and meetings, as well as meeting the right media. As this year’s Partner Destination, we’ve had a very successful show. The quality of the visitors was excellent, we’ve had high-level meetings with serious buyers and very engaged visitors throughout the show”.

Zhang Nan, Managing Director of China Comfort Travel   noted: “This year’s show was great, with huge traffic. I saw many global destinations joined by their local travel companies and agencies showcasing their products. Additionally, there was a significant increase in the number of Chinese buyers. I look forward to seeing ITB China continue to improve and foster even more synergistic cooperation between overseas suppliers and their Chinese partners.”

Sally Sedky, Head of Tourism Marketing, Bahrain Tourism & Exhibitions Authority: “ITB China is one of the most important platforms, we are very impressed with the quality of the buyers and we can see that there is potential for future partnerships with the travel trade in China. We are just starting out in the Chinese market and being at ITB China is a very important platform to maintain that.”

Yan Zheng, Vice President of Grand China MICE and General Manager of its Shanghai branch: “In the first half of 2024, we observed significant growth in the outbound travel market. Both the number of groups and the scale of business have increased, with demand far exceeding that of last year. I attend ITB China every year, and the resources offered by destinations this year align closely with our needs. Additionally, products from niche destinations have proven very helpful to us”.

Spotlight on Inbound Travel and MICE segment

With recent visa policy adjustments favoring inbound travel to China, ITB China experienced increased interest from international stakeholders. ITB China 2024 kicked off with the Beijing Night together with the Beijing Municipal Culture and Tourism Bureau and China Tourism Group on the eve of the show, a culturally inspired networking event designed to promote inbound tourism specifically to the Beijing region.

The “Chinese Tourism Destination Overseas Marketing Workshop” on 28 May was also highly successful, fostering valuable discussions on leveraging China’s inbound travel through branding campaigns and the highlighting of scenic landscapes and convenient, modern infrastructure. The workshop attracted a diverse range of participants, including international media, buyers, travel companies, Chinese destinations, local hotels, and travel agencies. Exhibitors from more than 10 Chinese destinations, including Beijing, Lhasa, Chengdu, Shanghai, Ningxia, Guangxi, Shaanxi, Fujian, Jiangsu, and Guangzhou, participated in the workshop.

Zhang KeXiong, Assistant General Manager of CTG Travel, President of Inbound Tourism Branch of China Association of Travel Services: “I was immediately impressed by the significant increase in the variety of exhibitors and the number of participating countries. Additionally, from the perspective of the attendees, the number of visitors has far exceeded that of any other exhibition I’ve attended in China so far. I feel that the spring of travel, especially for inbound tourism, is upon us, and ITB China is an excellent platform for us to conduct business with overseas travel agents and suppliers”.

The launch of the China Inbound Travel segment provided insights into tapping into the Chinese tourism market, underlined by a MOU signing ceremony between the German Travel Association, DRV, and ITB China. The MOU was signed by Norbert Fiebig, President of the German Travel Association (DRV) and Dr. Mario Tobias, CEO of Messe Berlin GmbH, marking a significant step in strengthening towards enhancing cooperation and fostering growth in the tourism sectors of both regions.

This year’s event also highlighted MICE and Corporate Travel, drawing attention from both exhibitors and over 800 buyers. A special speed-dating event facilitated face-to-face meetings between 40 high-level corporate buyers and exhibitors.

With 100 high-profile speakers covering ITB China Conference more than 50 topics, the served as a knowledge hub, providing attendees with market insights and innovative ideas. Organized in cooperation with TravelDaily, the sessions facilitated the exchange regarding cutting-edge trends and practices. Participants commended the dynamic content and engaging discussions on topics encompassing China Outbound Travel, MICE, Business Travel, Travel Technology, and new this year, China Inbound Travel, solidifying its position as China’s premier industry think tank. Those who missed sessions can review content online via the ITB China Platform, which will be published shortly.

Other networking events such as the fifth edition of the ITB China Cruise Night with Trip.com Group, Lunch & Link with PROMPERU, the After-Show Sundowner with TUI BLUE Hotels & Resorts, and the “Meet the Media” networking event provided valuable opportunities for attendees to connect and collaborate in the future.

Save the Date for ITB China 2025

ITB China 2025 is scheduled for Tuesday, 27 May to Thursday, 29 May.  Early-bird exhibitors who secure their stands before June 30th will enjoy a 10% discount on their stand orders

ITB China Conference 2024: Elevating the China travel business

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Inbound visits and spend: annual, regional, released on:.

17 May 2024

Next release:

to be confirmed

For further information, please contact [email protected] .

NOTE: The Office for National Statistics have made improvements to the estimates for the UK’s nations and regions from 2023. This was also applied on previous data from 2019-2022. These improvements have led to small changes (<4%) across visits, spend and nights when comparing the old and revised datasets at the UK nations and regions level across 2019-2022. Larger changes may be seen when cross tabulating the data by other characteristics. Please note, the outputs under ‘further analysis’ contain old regional data from 2019-2022 and we will be replacing these shortly.

Report highlights

• The majority of nations and regions saw growth in inbound visits vs 2022 but remained below 2019 levels. Most also saw record spend in nominal terms.
• Of the 38.0m inbound visit to the UK in 2023, London received a little over half (53%). This is in line with the proportions of visits received prior to COVID-19 and 2022. Visitors to London spent a record £16.7bn in the capital in 2023, up 6% on 2019 and up 18% vs 2022.
• The most visited England regions (excluding London) in 2023 were the South East (4.3m visits), the North West (3.4m visits) and the South West (2.4m visits). Of the English regions (outside London), the South East (£2.5bn spend), the North West (£2.2bn spend) and the South West (£1.5bn spend) reported the largest value.
• Scotland posted the strongest recovery and was the only nation/region to surpass 2019 levels at a record 4.0m visits in 2023. Inbound visitors spent a record setting £3.6bn in Scotland, up 41% vs 2019 and up 13% vs 2022.
• Although visits to Wales were 13% below 2019 levels, it did show the strongest recovery vs 2022 (up 30% vs 2022 with 892,000 visits). Visitors to Wales spent £458 million in 2023, still below pre-pandemic levels (-11%) but higher than in 2022 (16%).

Please note these are the final 2023 estimates. In the summary report, you can find further detail on English regions. See the results for Q4 2023 and view the UK total summary for 2023.

View the latest report

Ips nations and regions summary 2023 (published 17 may 2024).

Access the final estimates for 2023 in our summary report which covers headlines and distribution by UK nation and English regions.

IPS Nations and Regions data, pivot tables 2019-2023 (Published 17 May 2024)

Download the data in Excel and explore the detail in the pre-built pivot tables.

Explore the Nations & Regions inbound data in full

Use our visualisations to see this data in greater depth and clarity. Filter by inbound market, UK nation, UK region, season and purpose.

Further analysis

The outputs in this section contain old regional data from 2019-2022 and we will be replacing these shortly.

IPS Regional Spread by Year 2002 - 2022 pivot tables

IPS counties by purpose and country 2009-2022 pivot table

IPS counties by purpose and accommodation 2022

About the survey

The International Passenger Survey (IPS) is a continuous survey carried out by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). It covers all major air, sea and tunnel ports, providing detailed information on the numbers and types of visits made by people travelling to and from the UK.

From January to June 2022, the ONS was unable to restart interviewing at Eurotunnel due to COVID-19 restrictions so data for those travelling via this port is excluded for this time period. Interviewing at Eurostar was not affected by COVID-19 restrictions during this period. The ONS restarted IPS interviews at all ports from July 2022.

An important note about the survey’s methodology when interpreting regional data:

• Visitors who spend at least one night in the UK during their trip are asked where they stayed. This information can be aggregated to look at the number of visits, nights, and spending in different regions, cities, and towns.
• Information at the regional level is often based on very small sample sizes, and as such should be treated with extreme caution, and used solely as an indicative estimate. The IPS is a national survey, and is not designed to be statistically robust at the regional level.
• Visitors often spend nights in more than one location during their trip. This means that ‘visits’ values for different regions will not sum to the national total – for example a visitor from the US making a single visit to the UK could be counted as making a ‘staying visit’ to London, to Edinburgh and to Chester.
• The data includes a ‘Total UK’ category, representing the true national total for visits. 
• ‘Double counting’ is not an issue when looking at visitor nights or spending.
• No information is recorded about where visitors arriving or departing the UK on the same day travel during their trip, nor is information recorded about where ‘staying visitors’ go for ‘day trips’. If a visitor from France spends four nights in Edinburgh, they may take a day trip to St Andrews and another to Stirling, but this information will not be recorded in the IPS.

A note on the English regions

Data for each of the English regions can be viewed individually, or at an aggregated level. The aggregated levels available are:

• Rest of England: all regions outside London combined.
• England’s North Country: North East, North West and Yorkshire combined.
• Central England: West Midlands, East Midlands and East of England combined.
• Southern England: South East and South West combined.

Please see About IPS for further information and the ONS .

Related resources

• Explore the latest quarterly data at the total level and by region .
• See the latest full annual dataset at the total level.
• View the latest inbound trends by UK town .
• Take a look at the latest inbound tourism forecast .
• See activities undertaken i Britain’s nations and regions on the activities page .

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Fitch Solutions: Morocco’s tourism sector to continue growth in 2024

A new report by Fitch Solutions painted a promising picture for the future of Morocco’s tourism sector, highlighting the sector’s potential for significant expansion into new markets, which is expected to increase inbound tourist arrivals by 2026, aligning perfectly with the government’s tourism development roadmap.

Titled “Morocco Tourism Report,” the report stressed that the country’s tourism sector is expected to continue expanding in 2024, following the full recovery recorded in total tourist arrivals in 2023.

Over the medium term, from 2024 to 2028, Fitch Solutions suggests that “arrivals levels will strengthen, with growth driven by European markets.”

However, short-term risks to Morocco’s tourism prospects may arise from weak economic growth in Europe in 2024 and rising living costs associated with tighter credit conditions, prompting consumers to reduce the number and length of their trips.

Morocco, however, remains an attractive destination for European visitors seeking relatively affordable, high-quality travel experiences and looking to reduce their travel budgets, says the report.

Fitch Solutions anticipates steady growth in tourist arrivals to Morocco from 2024 to 2028, with an expected 6.2% annual increase in 2024, amounting to a record high of 15.4 million visitors.

It is further anticipated that by 2026, tourist arrivals might reach 17 million, slightly below the government’s target of 17.5 million visitors by that year.

The report mentioned that the number of tourists would continue to grow, reaching 17.6 million in 2027 and 18 million in 2028, accounting for an average annual growth rate of 4.4% over the 2024-2028 forecast period.

A new study by BMI Research found that the number of tourists who arrived in Morocco in 2023 surpassed expectations. The study had predicted that 11 million tourists would visit Morocco in 2023, but the actual number was 14.5 million, representing an increase of 112% compared to pre-pandemic levels.

It also noted that the Al-Houaz earthquake on September 8, 2023,  negatively impacted tourism arrivals. However, “despite this event, the Kingdom still recorded a good tourism performance in 2023,” applauded the report.

It also found that European markets, such as Germany, the UK, Spain, Italy, and the Netherlands, are Morocco’s main source of tourists, accounting for the largest share of arrivals.

Marrakech and Agadir are particularly popular with European tourists, according to the same source, especially during winter. It further highlighted that Morocco is also a popular destination for tourists from the Middle East, such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE, who are looking for luxury and leisure travel experiences.

The report credited “Morocco’s strategic tourism roadmap and sustained growth momentum,” noting that the Kingdom is well-positioned to recover from the pandemic and achieve sustainable growth in the coming years, despite European economic challenges and global constraints.

It highlighted the government’s increased focus on expanding and developing Morocco’s tourism offerings, acknowledging the sector as a vital source of income.

Fitch Solutions recalled that in March 2023, the government launched the 2023-2026 Strategic Tourism Roadmap with a budget of 6.1 billion MAD (about $606 million). The roadmap aims to attract 17.5 million tourists to Morocco by 2026 and reposition tourism as a key sector in the national economy.

In this regard, the government has identified nine sectors, five cross-cutting sectors, and six competitive levers to support the growth of the country’s tourism sector in the coming years.

The post Fitch Solutions: Morocco’s tourism sector to continue growth in 2024 appeared first on HESPRESS English - Morocco News .

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You are here: Home » News » New data from UKinbound reveals UK summer travel trends

New data from UKinbound reveals UK summer travel trends

Publish date: 29th Jul 22 29th Jul 22

UKinbound’s latest Business Barometer Survey, conducted with its members in June/July 2022 suggests that the resurgence of the UK’s inbound tourism industry is being led by couples and empty nesters from international markets, but supply chain capacity and staffing issues could slow down recovery.

Businesses stated that couples and empty nesters were the fastest returning international demographic, closely followed by families. Additionally, the US market continues to recover the strongest, with more than one in three businesses seeing growth from this market.

In contrast, businesses were asked, looking at the remainder of the year, what they expect to be their biggest barriers to recovery. Supply chain capacity was a leading concern, closely followed by the recruitment and retention of staff. The UK’s international competitiveness, alongside inflation and energy costs, were also highlighted as concerns.

However, 78% of UK tourism businesses stated that were confident about the upcoming 12 months, compared to just 11% in April 2020.

The survey also asked members to compare their 2022 summer forecast (July, August and September) to the same time pre-pandemic. Over half (54%) expected international visitor bookings and numbers to be lower than pre-pandemic, while, one in five expected them to be higher during this period.

Nearly a third of inbound tourism businesses are expecting higher revenue levels compared to pre-Covid, however this trend was not shared across all businesses. 71% of attractions and 57% of tour operators expect to have lower revenue compared to pre-pandemic.

Joss Croft, CEO of UKinbound commented, “From couples and empty nesters to families, it’s fantastic to see international consumers returning to experience the UK’s diverse tourism offering. The opening of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham this week is just one of the many reasons international visitors are choosing to holiday in the UK this year.

“We’ve also seen real pent-up demand from the US market, with people taking their deferred 2020 and 2021 holidays in the UK this summer, but international tourism is very competitive, and we can’t assume this boom will continue.

“Our industry is facing a number of challenges to its recovery, with supply chain capacity being heavily affected by businesses’ ability to secure the skilled staff that they need, alongside inflation and rising energy costs.

“Additionally, if we are to retain our crown as a world-leading tourist destination, and the economic benefits that come with this, we need to ensure that the UK has competitive visa, immigration and border systems, invests in the promotion of Britain abroad and that visitors receive a first-class welcome.”

“Looking forward, it’s critical that the impending new Government implement policies and funding that support the recovery and growth of businesses across this sector.”

To read the full results, click here .

Business Barometer Q3 2022

29th Jul 22

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