Inbound countryside & coast research
Britain's great outdoors has an abundance of countryside and thousands of miles of coastline — both playing host to millions of visits from overseas each year.
From 22 May we will be working to update all of the data and documents on this page following the Office of National Statistics (ONS) revision of the International Passenger Survey (IPS) data for 2009-2018 and the released detailed 2019 data. Please be patient as we update these pages or contact the VisitBritain research team if you have any questions- VB/VEResearch@visitbritain.org. Thank you.
There are two categories of activites focused on countryside and coastal activities - experiencing rural life and scenery and outdoor leisure pursuits.
Experiencing rural life and scenery
| Activities asked about | Number of visits that involved activity (000) | % of all visits | Amount spent in UK (£m)* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Going to countryside or villages | 4,996 | 13% | £4,540 |
| Going to coast or beaches | 3,797 | 10% | £3,460 |
| Visiting a national park | 2,490 | 7% | £2,430 |
Outdoor leisure pursuits
| Activities asked about | Number of visits that involved activity (000) | % of all visits | Amount spent in UK (£m)* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walking in the countryside | 6,459 | 20% | £3,900 |
| Going for a walk, hike or ramble | 5,935 | 17% | £4,970 |
| Walking along the coast | 2,445 | 8% | £1,970 |
| Playing golf | 354 | 1% | £480 |
| Fishing | 115 | <1% | £140 |
Source: International Passenger Survey 2007-2016, *By those whose visit included the activity. Spend is not specifically whilst under-taking activity throughout visit to UK
Propensity for holidays in UK nations and regions involving specific activities
IPS figures also show that Scotland (SC), Wales (WL), the South West (SW) and Yorkshire (YKS) are most likely to see holiday visits involving a visit to a national park, whilst going to the countryside or villages is more common in the South West, Scotland and Wales.
Going to the coast or beaches is particularly likely in Wales (undertaken by over 1-in-2 holidaymakers), followed by those visiting Scotland and the South West.
Over half of visits to Wales included going for a walk, hike or ramble, followed by visits to the South West, Yorkshire, Scotland, the South East (SE) and the East Midlands (EM).
Playing golf is most common when visiting Scotland and Wales, but also more so than the holiday inbound average in the South East, the East of England (EE) and the North East (NE).
| Visiting rural / coastal locations, participating in outdoor /sports activities during holiday visits to... | SW | SE | LON | EE | WM | EM | YKS | NW | NE | WL | SC | UK totaL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Going to the countryside or villages | 48% | 29% | 7% | 20% | 18% | 24% | 32% | 20% | 21% | 44% | 44% | 18% |
| Going to the coast or beaches | 40% | 30% | 3% | 9% | 2% | 8% | 19% | 14% | 14% | 52% | 43% | 14% |
| Visiting a national park | 24% | 10% | 7% | 6% | 3% | 6% | 21% | 12% | 9% | 28% | 28% | 11% |
| Going for a walk, hike or ramble | 47% | 31% | 16% | 18% | 19% | 31% | 37% | 20% | 17% | 52% | 36% | 21% |
| Playing golf | 1% | 2% | <1% | 2% | 1% | 0% | <1% | 1% | 2% | 4% | 8% | 1% |
Source: International Passenger Survey 2014-2016, shown as percentages of total inbound holiday visits to the UK (inc. visits to Northern Ireland), to a nation or region
Related reports
- Read our report on inbound activities whilst in Britain’s nations and regions (PDF, 5.8MB), which covers what activities international visitors do in different areas of Britain. Published January 2019.
- According to the Nation Brands Index, the UK ranks considerably well within the tourism dimension (4th in 2018) - despite an average ranking for its natural beauty, the UK is held in high regard for vibrant urban life and historic buildings, as well as aspiration to visit.
- As part of the Discover England Fund, we have produced a series of market and activities summaries. These summaries provide information about demographic profiles, attitude towards taking a holiday to England, market consideration for each activity and other market profiling insights. There are 2 reports specific to coastal tourism (PDF, 7.8MB) and countryside tourism (PDF, 13.8MB). Published March 2018.
Further resources
- For more detailed information on visitors from specific markets, please visit our dedicated markets section.
- For more detailed information on visitors to nations, regions, counties and towns in Britain, please visit our dedicated section.
- Explore our domestic tourism research pages
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