Most popular destinations for UK tourists 2024| ��ƽ��

Leading countries visited by residents of the United Kingdom from 2019 to 2024 (in 1,000 visits)

Characteristic	2019	2021	2022	2023	2024*
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Source

Release date

August 2025

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Region

United Kingdom

Survey time period

2019 and 2024

Supplementary notes

Figures from before 2024 were taken from previous reports.

* The source provided the following note on methodological changes in 2024:

"From 1 April 2024, Northern Ireland travel and tourism data are being provided by the Northern Ireland Statistical Research Agency (NISRA), rather than being estimated by the International Passenger Survey (IPS). Due to differences in data delivery timelines it is no longer possible to produce UK estimates on a quarterly basis. Following stakeholder feedback, the decision was made to continue our quarterly publications with estimates for Great Britain, starting in Quarter 1 2024. The Travel trends: 2024 datasets include headline estimates in table 1 for overseas residents visiting the UK, and UK residents visiting countries abroad, for the world totals only. The remaining estimates and breakdowns in tables 2 to 16 represent GB-level estimates only."

This statistic is using original data from the Office for National Statistics and includes copyright material from © Crown, licensed under the .

Citation formats

Spain was the most visited country by residents of the United Kingdom in 2024, with approximately million visits. This figure was marginally lower than in 2019, prior to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Meanwhile, followed in the 2024 ranking; of these, only * reported a higher number of visits that year compared to pre-pandemic levels.

Spain still a favorite among UK holidaymakers

Spain has become a firm favorite among holiday travelers from Britain, as it continually lists as the most visited holiday destination abroad. Beach holidays are popular among Brits searching for warmer climates, and the relative ease and cheapness of package holidays to the Mediterranean make it possible.

Outbound tourism from the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic

As suggested by the figures recorded by the leading outbound travel destinations, the number of visits abroad from the United Kingdom continued to recover in 2024 and even passed pre-pandemic levels for the first time since travel restrictions were lifted. As the volume of visits bounced back, the outbound tourism expenditure in the UK also experienced a sharp annual increase in 2024, with spending having in fact already exceeded pre-pandemic levels in 2023.