Travel and tourism's total contribution to GDP in the UK 2019-2022

In 2022, the direct and indirect contribution of travel and tourism to the United Kingdom's gross domestic product (GDP) was 4.6 percent lower than in 2019, the year prior to the onset of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Overall, these industries' total contribution to the country's GDP amounted to roughly 237 billion British pounds in 2022.

Has tourism in the UK recovered from the impact of COVID-19?

While inbound resident visits to the UK dropped to just above six million in 2021 - the lowest figure reported in two decades - the volume of inbound tourist visits to the United Kingdom rebounded in 2022, surpassing 31 million. International arrivals, however, remained below pre-pandemic levels. Similarly, while outbound tourist visits from the UK experienced a nearly fourfold increase in 2022 compared to the previous year, the country still reported around 20 million fewer trips abroad than in 2019.

What are Britons’ favorite holiday destinations?

Either before or after the impact of the health crisis, vacationing remained the main travel purpose for outbound visits from the UK. In 2022, Spain was the most visited holiday destination by UK travelers, followed by France, Greece, and Portugal.