Fastest Drop In Brits Traveling Abroad In 2009

According to the Office for National Statistics, the number of trips made by Brits to foreign countries fell at the fastest rate since the 1970s in 2009; from 69 million in 2008 to 58.6 million in 2009. 23% less visits were made by UK residents abroad for business purposes in 2009 compared to the previous year. There was a drop of 15% in visits made for holiday reasons and a drop of 6.5% for visiting friends and relatives. The combined visits to France and Spain still amount to 21.3 million of the total 58.6 million visits abroad that Brits made. Mexico suffered a 41% fall in visits from UK but Egypt, Jamaica and Lithuania saw rises. Brits spent £5.1 billion less in 2009 despite the fact that a Brit’s average length of stay abroad has extended from 9.9 nights in 2007 to 10.5 nights in 2009.

A drop from 31.1 million to 29.9 million was recorded for foreign visits to UK. However, holiday-specific trips to the UK by overseas visitors rose in 2009, by 0.5 million from 10.9m in 2008 to 11.4m in 2009. Earnings from visitors from abroad rose from £16.3 billion to £16.6 billion. London remains the most popular city for foreigners, followed by Edinburgh, Manchester, Birmingam, Glasgow, Liverpool, Bristol, Oxford and Cambridge.