Destinations offering rural locations or outdoor activities appeal to particular groups of visitors as do those where it is possible to watch football or other live sport. Those visiting Britain on holiday are often particularly likely to include activities such as dining in restaurants, shopping and sightseeing our famous monuments and buildings. Each year, we sponsor specific questions in the International Passenger Survey (IPS) to find out how many visitors from overseas undertook particular activites whilst in Britain. Activities data for 2020 and 2021 is not available due to Covid-19 restrictions on the IPS survey.
Visiting famous / iconic tourist attractions
| Activity asked about |
Number of visits that involved activity (000) |
% of all visits |
Amount spent in UK (£m)* |
|---|
| Sightseeing famous monuments/buildings |
19,367 |
47% |
£16,160 |
| Going on a guided tour |
6,647 |
16% |
£6,186 |
| Visiting literary, music, TV, film locations |
2,241 |
5% |
£2,108 |
| Zoo, aquarium or other wildlife attractions |
1,313 |
4% |
£872 |
Exploring history and heritage
| Activity asked about |
Number of visits that involved activity (000) |
% of all visits |
Amount spent in UK (£m)* |
|---|
| Visiting castles or historic houses |
11,037 |
28% |
£9,204 |
| Visiting religious buildings |
8,147 |
21% |
£6,711 |
| Researching ancestry |
483 |
1% |
£362 |
Experiencing city life
| Activity asked about |
Number of visits that involved activity (000) |
% of all visits |
Amount spent in UK (£m)* |
|---|
| Dining in restaurants |
25,689 |
63% |
£20,523 |
| Shopping |
22,402 |
55% |
£18,674 |
| Going to the pub |
16,881 |
41% |
£12,394 |
| Socialising with the locals |
12,867 |
31% |
£10,237 |
| Visiting parks or gardens |
12,581 |
32% |
£10,295 |
| Visiting museums or art galleries |
11,198 |
29% |
£9,476 |
| Having a traditional afternoon tea |
5,604 |
14% |
£5,927 |
| Going to bars and nightclubs |
5,107 |
12% |
£5,082 |
| Visiting a spa/beauty centre |
1,013 |
2% |
£1,718 |
Experiencing rural life and scenery
| Activity asked about |
Number of visits that involved activity (000) |
% of all visits |
Amount spent in UK (£m)* |
|---|
| Going to countryside or villages |
5,234 |
13% |
£5,154 |
| Going to the coast or beaches |
3,867 |
10% |
£3,842 |
| Visiting a national park |
2,604 |
7% |
£2,729 |
Outdoor leisure pursuits
| Activity asked about |
Number of visits that involved activity (000) |
% of all visits |
Amount spent in UK (£m)* |
|---|
| Walking in the countryside |
8,751 |
21% |
£7,790 |
| Going for a walk, hike or ramble |
6,065 |
17% |
£5,317 |
| Walking along the coast |
4,584 |
11% |
£4,258 |
| Going for a run |
2,042 |
5% |
£2,259 |
| Playing golf |
367 |
1% |
£525 |
| Fishing |
112 |
<1% |
£140 |
Challenge and / or action
| Activity asked about |
Number of visits that involved activity (000) |
% of all visits |
Amount spent in UK (£m)* |
|---|
| Activities to learn a new skill |
971 |
2% |
£1,127 |
| Take part in sports activities |
717 |
2% |
£776 |
| Studied English language |
614 |
2% |
£940 |
| Watersport (eg water-ski, speedboat, sailing) |
212 |
1% |
£172 |
| Played football |
109 |
<1% |
£199 |
| Went cycling/mountain biking |
57 |
<1% |
£63 |
| Played rugby |
27 |
<1% |
£18 |
| Played cricket |
22 |
<1% |
£21 |
Attending cultural / music / sports events
| Activity asked about |
Number of visits that involved activity (000) |
% of all visits |
Amount spent in UK (£m)* |
|---|
| Theatre / musicals / opera / ballet |
3,610 |
9% |
£3,898 |
| Going to a live music event |
2,797 |
7% |
£3,030 |
| Going to a live sports event |
2,248 |
5% |
£2,309 |
| Watch live football |
1,505 |
4% |
£1,368 |
| Attend a festival |
1,192 |
3% |
£1,426 |
| Going to a football match / attending a live football match |
814 |
2% |
£722 |
| Watch live cricket |
225 |
1% |
£349 |
| Watch live rugby |
203 |
<1% |
£160 |
| Watch tennis |
166 |
<1% |
£218 |
| Watch live horse racing |
78 |
<1% |
£118 |
| Watch live motor sport (including motorbike) |
70 |
<1% |
£35 |
| Watch live golf |
61 |
<1% |
£129 |
| Watch a live marathon |
51 |
<1% |
£54 |
Available to download: our report on Activities in Britain’s nations and regions (PDF, 14.09MB) covers the profile of international visitors in different areas of Britain and the activities they do there.
Source: International Passenger Survey 2006-2019 *By those whose visit included the activity. Spend is not specifically whilst under-taking activity throughout visit to UK.
